Lion Air, an Indonesian-based low-cost airline that primarily operates across Southeast Asia, has announced that it will continue to suspend all domestic and international flights indefinitely due to the impact of coronavirus.
The biggest airline in Indonesia, and second-biggest in Southeast Asia after AirAsia, has experienced severe setbacks from travel restrictions imposed across the region because of the covid-19 lockdowns.
An announcement published by Lion Air informed customers that the airline will keep its 138-aircraft fleet grounded including in popular locations such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Batik Air and Wings Air, both operating under the privately-held company, will also keep their 140-aircraft fleet grounded indefinitely.
Indonesia has imposed an air travel ban since April 24th with the airline industry suffering greatly in the country. Foreign visitors are down by 87 percent when compared to last year.
The decision to keep its fleet grounded indefinitely follows Lion Air’s salary cuts for all staff including pilots, cabin crew, and management.
The announcement follows news of Thai Airways filing for bankruptcy reconstruction and AirAsia planning to merge with other low-cost airlines to keep afloat.
Source: Bangkok Post
