Europe's Airbus grabbed a record order worth $24 billion at list prices from Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air on Monday, shaking arch-rival Boeing's grip on one of the world's fastest-growing airlines. The blockbuster order for 234 medium-haul jets underscored the rise of a powerful new breed of Asian carrier and was immediately hailed for its impact on European jobs in contrast to turmoil over a disputed bailout to Cyprus.
"Thanks to this contract, Airbus will be able to secure 5,000 jobs over 10 years," French President Francois Hollande said at an ornate signing ceremony at the Elysee Palace. Hollande, whose approval ratings have sunk to around 30 percent amid worries about unemployment, oversaw the deal before leaving for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on further industrial co-operation modelled on Europe's planemaker.
The contract, as reported earlier by Reuters, trumped a record deal Lion Air had struck with Airbus's US rival Boeing in front of President Barack Obama in 2011. The planemakers are locked in a battle for global orders in the 150-seat category estimated at $2 trillion over 20 years. Indonesia's Lion Air has been rapidly expanding its fleet to meet the need for medium-haul jets in the world's fourth most populous country, an archipelago of 17,000 islands.
Co-founder Rusdi Kirana said he would use the aircraft to start up new airline ventures underpinned by Asia's growth. He also told Reuters in an interview that Indonesia's top domestic airline would aim for a stock market listing in 2015 after ditching the plan due to market volatility a year ago. "What will I do with them? I will set up new airlines in other countries, in the Asia-Pacific region," Kirana said.