Ex-Im Aircraft Financing to Indonesia

Photo courtesy of The Boeing Company

Founded in Indonesia in 2000 by two brothers, Kusnan and Rusdi Kirana, Lion Air has become Indonesia’s first low-cost carrier and is the country’s number-one domestic airline by market share today.

Ex-Im Bank is providing financing to support U.S.-manufactured commercial aircraft exports from The Boeing Company to Lion Air to modernize its fleet. To date, The Bank has approved more than $2 billion in final and preliminary commitments to support Lion Air’s purchase of 60 Boeing 737-900ER (extended range) aircraft.

In November 2011, Lion Air more than doubled its existing order for 178 U.S.-manufactured Boeing 737 aircraft, by ordering an additional 230 Boeing aircraft valued at more than $21 billion – the largest commercial aircraft order in aviation history.

Ex-Im’s financing will support over 100,000 aerospace-industry jobs in the United States over a number of years. 

"This is an example of how we are going to achieve the long-term goal that I set of doubling U.S. exports over the next several years. … And the U.S. administration and the Ex-Im Bank, in particular, were critical in facilitating this deal," said President Barack Obama at a Lion Air signing ceremony in Indonesia in November 2011.

President Barack Obama attended the Lion Air signing ceremony in Nusa Dua, on the island of Bali, Indonesia, on November 18, 2011. Signing the documents were Boeing Senior Vice President Ray Connor (seated on right) and Lion Air CEO Rusdi Kirana (seated on left). Standing from left to right: Lion Air General Affairs Director Edward Sirait, Ex-Im Bank Transportation Vice President Robert Morin; Boeing International Vice President Dinesh Keskar; President Obama; Ralph "Skip" Boyce, president of Boeing Southeast Asia; U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel and Indonesia’s Ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal. Photo courtesy of The White House.