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Lion, Airbus sign $250 million flight training deal
The pilots of Indonesiaâs largest private airline, Lion Air, will receive flight training from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in a deal worth about US$250 million as part of the carrierâs efforts to meet the qualifications of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
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he pilots of Indonesia's largest private airline, Lion Air, will receive flight training from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in a deal worth about US$250 million as part of the carrier's efforts to meet the qualifications of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the flight training cooperation was signed by Lion Group chief executive officer Rusdi Kirana and Airbus executive vice president Didier Lux in Jakarta on Monday.
'We thank Lion Group for their confidence in our flight training services. These will bring our experts training know-how and technology to Indonesia with Lion Group,' said Lux.
'The decision to partner with Airbus for the provision of flight training services demonstrates that Lion Group is investing heavily in training and continuing to bring internationally recognized training courses to Indonesia,' Rusdi told reporters after the signing.
'This flight training program will definitely improve the capacity of our pilots to meet EASA and Airbus standards.'
Under the MoU agreement, the European aerospace conglomerate will provide all needed syllabus, equipment and courseware for the flight training, which will take place at Angkasa Aviation Academy in Cirebon, West Java.
When the pilots have finished the program, they will receive an international license from EASA and Airbus, said Rusdi, adding that the license would be their official permit to fly to Europe.
Lion Air is currently banned from flying to Europe due to broader safety lapses in the Indonesian airline industry that have long plagued the country.
The airline has been involved in six accidents since 2002, four of them involving Boeing 737s and one resulting in 25 deaths, according to the Aviation Safety Network's website.
'If Lion's pilots have finished their flight training, they will get their certificate as soon as possible,' Lux said.
The flight training cooperation between Airbus and Lion Group will run for five to 10 years.
The country's largest domestic carrier has ordered four simulators of the popular Airbus A320 narrow-body aircraft as part of the training package, Rusdi said, adding that the simulators would be used in the training program.
'The four Airbus simulators will arrive at the end of this month,' Rusdi.
He added that Lion had ordered a total of 21 simulators. The remainder will be delivered in stages up until 2027.
The training program is the latest deal between Lion and Airbus.
Last year, Lion ordered 234 of its popular Airbus A 320 narrow-body aircraft worth up to $24 billion.
'The first Airbus A 320 aircraft will arrive in July and will be operated by Batik Air' Rusdi said.
Batik Air is a subsidiary of Lion Air that was launched in April last year to serve premium flight services on 66 domestic routes and 20 international routes. (alz)
