Not a lot of information yet - but I saw this post/press release on an airline news website. Would like to see a confirmation. I presume 787-900s but not certain. What is the information on Batik Air? I realise they are being set-up to compete with Garuda on the premium routes. I wonder if they will recruit Lion Air pilots and "invite" them to pay for their 787 type ratings... :}:ugh: See below:

Lion Air to order Boeing 787 Dreamliners for its new Batik Air subsidiary

June 8, 2012 — Batik Air (http://worldairlinenews.com/tag/batik-air/), Lion Air (http://worldairlinenews.com/tag/lion-air/)

http://worldairlinenews.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/lion-air-logo-1.jpg?w=606 (http://airlinersgallery.com/)
Boeing (Chicago) has confirmed that Lion Air (Jakarta) has announced a commitment to order 787 Dreamliners for its newly launched premium carrier Batik Air.

Boeing looks forward to finalizing this order.


This follows a previous press release in latter May here:


Lion Air to launch full-service Batik Air with 10 Boeing 737-800s in March 2013 (http://worldairlinenews.com/2012/05/28/lion-air-to-launch-full-service-batik-air-with-10-boeing-737-800s-in-march-2013/)

May 28, 2012

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia/Lion-Air/i-sSZ9v2C/0/S/Lion-737-900ER-WL-PK-LFH-02Apr-S.jpg (http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia/Lion-Air/18839161_fTWkxM#!i=1871861678&k=sSZ9v2C&lb=1&s=A)
Lion Air (http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia/Lion-Air/18839161_fTWkxM) (Jakarta) has announced it will launch a new full-service subsidiary named Batik Air in March 2013. The new subsidiary will compete against rival Garuda Indonesia (http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia/Garuda-Indonesia-Airways/15721232_Cm9fMF) (Jakarta) and operate on international routes to Asia and Australia. The fleet will be 10 Boeing 737-800s according to the Jakarta Post.

According to Wikipedia, the name of the new airline is derived from the local name of a dyed-pattern cloth especially the Javanese traditional batik, especially from regions around Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Batik has notable meanings rooted to the Javanese idea of the universe. Traditional colors include indigo, dark brown, and white (likely the colors of the new airline), which represent the three major Hindu Gods (Brahmā, Visnu, and Śiva).

Read the full report from the Jakarta Post: CLICK HERE (http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/26/lion-air-s-full-service-airline-fly-2013.html)
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing.

Latest update: looks like Batik may be ordering 5 Dreamliners according to the most recent reports:

http://www.nycaviation.com/newspage/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/batik-air-787-630-620x413.jpg

Indonesian low-cost carrier Lion Air has committed to buying five Boeing 787 Dreamliners to be used by Lion’s new full-service carrier Batik Air, the airframer announced on Friday.

Once finalized, the deal will have a list-price value of just under $1 billion.
First revealed (http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/26/lion-air-s-full-service-airline-fly-2013.html) less than three weeks ago, Batik is set takeoff in 2013 using 10 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Routes will link a Jakarta hub to South Asia, East Asia and Australia.

Lion Air, Indonesia’s largest privately-owned airline, is racing to fulfill exploding air travel demand in Indonesia which, for example, grew nearly 15 percent just in the first quarter of this year compared to 2011. Lion made waves in 2011 when it placed a record shattering order (http://www.nycaviation.com/2011/11/lion-air-becomes-second-boeing-737-max-customer-in-record-380-plane-deal/) for 380 Boeing 737 aircraft. With Batik, Lion seeks to take on government-owned Garuda Indonesia, the country’s leading full-service, long-haul carrier.
An expected delivery date for the new 787 aircraft will likely not be announced until the order is finalized, but based on the current 787 backlog, it will likely take several years for the first Batik Dreamliner to take to the skies.

http://www.nycaviation.com/newspage/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/batik-gallery-620x413.jpg (http://www.nycaviation.com/photo-galleries/photos-batik-air-boeing-787-dreamliner/)

Too bad they cannot take the Air India 787s...:}:E

Where do they plan on flying these new jets?

US aerospace giant Boeing confirmed on Friday a commitment from Indonesia’s Lion Air to buy five 787-8 Dreamliners for its new subsidiary.

“Boeing confirms that Jakarta-based Lion Air announced a commitment to order 787 Dreamliners for its newly launched premium carrier Batik Air,” the Chicago-based company said.

“Boeing congratulates Batik Air for selecting the 787 Dreamliner and looks forward to finalizing this order,” it said in a brief statement that did not reveal details of the pending order.

A Boeing spokesman told AFP that the privately owned Lion Air planned to buy five 787-8s. At list prices, the deal is valued at $967.5 million.

Since the beginning of the year, Boeing has posted order cancellations for six Dreamliners. The first 787 delivery last September was three years behind schedule.

Built largely with lightweight composite materials, Boeing says the Dreamliner is about 20 percent more fuel efficient than similarly sized aircraft and is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes.

Agence France-Presse