Dhaka: The Lion Air Group will significantly increase its fleet size by 80 new planes in 2023 as it plans to open several new routes in South Asia including Bangladesh.

The group has orders of the latest generation narrowbody planes from both Airbus and Boeing as it looks to scale up operations after the pandemic.

Reports cited a Lion Air Group official saying at a conference in Jakarta recently that, “We are adding several routes, especially to South Asia. We are still in talks with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan. We have explored them. Hopefully, in 2023, additional international routes will be implemented.”

Lion Air Group added over 40 airplanes in 2022, however, the Group official also claimed, as per reports, that those planes comprised just half of what the group needs.

The airline group is expecting to expand operations in South Asia, namely countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as per reports.

The group’s airlines, which include Lion Air, Wings Air (Indonesia), Super Air Jet, Batik Air, Batik Air Malaysia, and Thai Lion Air, collectively operate 317 airplanes. Most of these aircraft are based in Indonesia, with Lion Air accounting for over 110 planes.

Apart from the planned new routes in South Asia, the group will also increase frequencies to high-demand destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang.

Reports reveal that Lion Air Indonesia has more than 110 A320neos and A321neos on order from Airbus. It will also receive 230 737 MAX airplanes from Boeing.