Indonesia's Lion Air has secured $1 billion in financing commitments from the US Export-Import Bank to support its planned purchase of 30 Boeing 737-900ERs.
Ex-Im Bank says in a statement that its board of directors on 2 April approved a final authorisation of $238 million as well as a non-binding preliminary commitment of $841 million.
It says this represents its first financing support for the 737-900ER as well as its first aircraft financing support for a privately owned airline in Indonesia.
"Ex-Im Bank's financing of these sales of 737-900ER aircraft to Lion Air supports jobs at Boeing's manufacturing facilities in the state of Washington and at CFM International in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as at hundreds of small, medium-sized and large US businesses that supply parts and services to Boeing and CFM," Boeing Capital managing director for South and Southeast Asia Carol Sexton says in the Ex-Im Bank statement.
Ex-Im VP of transportation Robert Morin adds that the bank "welcomes this opportunity to support the export of Boeing aircraft to Lion Air, a successful and growing Indonesian airline".
Lion launched the 737-900ER programme and to date has placed firm orders for 178 of the type. It has 17 in service, according to Flight's ACAS database.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
