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Lion Air

ICAO: LNI IATA: JT Active as of Jan 31, 2026

Airline Statistics

172

Active Routes

6713

Flight Observations

44

Unique Destinations

35

Origin Airports

920

Avg Route Distance (mi)

5741

Longest Route (mi)

1

Domestic Routes

99

International Routes

About Lion Air

Lion Air (Indonesia) (ICAO: LNI) is a prominent low-cost carrier in Southeast Asia, known for its extensive network primarily within Indonesia.

Lion Air, legally established on November 15, 1999, was founded by brothers Rusdi and Kusnan Kirana, commencing its operations on June 30, 2000, with its inaugural flight from Jakarta to Pontianak. It rapidly grew to become Indonesia's largest privately run airline and the country's first low-cost airline, with the motto "We Make People Fly" aiming to make air travel accessible.

The airline's main operational base and primary hub is Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) in Jakarta. It also utilizes secondary hubs such as Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (UPG) in Makassar and Juanda International Airport (SUB) in Surabaya to support regional connectivity. Lion Air's fleet primarily consists of Boeing 737 aircraft, including Next Generation, 900ER, and MAX series variants, supplemented by Airbus A330s for longer routes. The broader Lion Air Group operates a fleet of over 300 aircraft.

Lion Air boasts an extensive route network, comprising over 183 domestic routes connecting various destinations across Indonesia. Its international reach extends to countries like Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, India, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, alongside charter services to mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Macau. Lion Air is not a member of any of the major global airline alliances (Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld). It is, however, the flagship carrier of the Lion Air Group, which includes subsidiary airlines such as Wings Air, Batik Air (Indonesia), Batik Air (Malaysia), and Thai Lion Air. As a low-cost carrier, Lion Air focuses on providing affordable fares, meaning in-flight amenities and services are generally basic, typically without complimentary meals, drinks, or entertainment.

Traveler Reviews

What Travelers Love:

  • Affordable Fares: Lion Air is frequently recognized for offering competitive and budget-friendly air travel options.
  • Extensive Domestic Network: The airline provides a vast array of destinations, particularly within Indonesia, making it a common choice for internal travel.
  • Occasional Punctuality: Some travelers have reported positive experiences with flights being on time and smooth.

Common Complaints:

  • Frequent Delays and Cancellations: A persistent criticism involves widespread flight delays and last-minute cancellations, often leading to disrupted travel plans and inconvenience for passengers.
  • Poor Customer Service: Passengers frequently highlight inefficient, unhelpful, and unresponsive customer service, especially when dealing with cancellations, rebookings, or refund requests.
  • Basic In-flight Experience and Comfort: Travelers often complain about uncomfortable seating, limited legroom, and a lack of complimentary amenities such as food, water, or in-flight entertainment.

Overall, the general sentiment among travelers regarding Lion Air is largely negative, often reflected in "poor" ratings on review platforms. While its affordability and extensive domestic network are acknowledged, issues concerning punctuality, customer service, and basic comfort significantly detract from the overall passenger experience.

Safety Information

Lion Air has a mixed safety record throughout its history. A significant incident was the fatal crash of Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, in October 2018, which resulted in the loss of all 189 passengers and crew shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. Prior to this, a 2004 crash killed 25 people, and other incidents between 2002 and 2013 resulted in aircraft damage and injuries.

In terms of regulatory certifications, Lion Air achieved IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification in 2016 and successfully underwent recertification in 2018 and 2019. IOSA certification is an internationally recognized audit system for assessing airline operational management and control systems. Furthermore, Indonesia's aviation safety, including that of Lion Air, saw an upgrade to a US FAA Category 1 rating in 2016, which permits Indonesian carriers to operate direct flights to the United States. The European Union (EU) also lifted its ban on Lion Air in 2016, with a broader blanket ban on Indonesian carriers being removed in mid-2018, indicating improvements in safety oversight and compliance.

The Lion Air Group states it has rigorous aircraft fleet maintenance procedures, conducted at its own maintenance and repair facilities, and maintains a strict Safety Management System. While past public reviews have sometimes mentioned concerns about maintenance or fleet age, the airline's regulatory certifications reflect ongoing efforts to meet international safety standards.

Based on available data, Lion Air has made strides in aligning with international safety practices, as evidenced by its IOSA certification and the lifting of prior bans by major regulatory bodies. However, its safety record includes notable past incidents, most significantly the 2018 crash. Indonesia, as a member of ICAO, holds an aviation safety rating of 80.8%. No specific safety awards or recognitions beyond regulatory compliance and certifications were found in the research.

Compiled by AirportRoutes.com • Updated 2 months ago

Route Network Map

Click on any airport to see its routes

Most Popular Routes

CGK → UPG
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport → Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
891 miles
407 flights
B738
KNO → CGK
Kualanamu International Airport → Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
863 miles
331 flights
B39M
SUB → UPG
Juanda International Airport → Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
492 miles
325 flights
B739
PLW → UPG
Mutiara - SIS Al-Jufrie Airport → Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
288 miles
253 flights
B738
TKG → CGK
Radin Inten II International Airport → Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
119 miles
204 flights
B739
UPG → CGK
Hasanuddin International Airport → Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
891 miles
200 flights
B738
MDC → UPG
Sam Ratulangi Airport → Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
589 miles
183 flights
B739
TTE → UPG
Sultan Babullah Airport → Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
677 miles
175 flights
B739
133 flights
B738

Top Destinations

UPG (WAAA)
Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
1874 flights
18 routes
CGK (WIII)
Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
Tangerang
1192 flights
18 routes
SUB (WARR)
Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
892 flights
18 routes
BTH (WIDD)
Hang Nadim
Batam
322 flights
7 routes
KNO (WIMM)
Kuala Namu International
Deli Serdang
279 flights
6 routes
DPS (WADD)
Ngurah Rai/Bali Intl
Bali/Denpasar
272 flights
10 routes
YIA (WAHI)
Yogyakarta International Airport
195 flights
7 routes
BPN (WALL)
Sepinggan Int'l
Balikpapan
158 flights
8 routes
DJJ (WAJJ)
Sentani
Jayapura
139 flights
4 routes
MKQ (WAKK)
Mopah
Merauke
105 flights
2 routes

Top Origin Airports

UPG (WAAA)
Hasanuddin International Airport
Ujung Pandang
861 flights
20 routes
CGK (WIII)
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Jakarta
830 flights
19 routes
SUB (WARR)
Juanda International Airport
Surabaya
788 flights
18 routes
KNO (WIMM)
Kualanamu International Airport
Beringin
516 flights
6 routes
BTH (WIDD)
Hang Nadim International Airport
Batam
326 flights
8 routes
BPN (WALL)
Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport
Balikpapan
325 flights
9 routes
YIA (WAHI)
Yogyakarta International Airport
Yogyakarta
278 flights
7 routes
PLW (WAFF)
Mutiara - SIS Al-Jufrie Airport
Palu
253 flights
1 route
MDC (WAMM)
Sam Ratulangi Airport
Manado
248 flights
6 routes
TKG (WILL)
Radin Inten II International Airport
Bandar Lampung
204 flights
1 route

Top Border Crossing Flights

UPG (WAAA)
Hasanuddin International Airport
Makassar / Ujung Pandang, ID
1874 flights
18 routes
CGK (WIII)
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Tangerang, ID
1192 flights
18 routes
SUB (WARR)
Juanda International Airport
Surabaya, ID
892 flights
18 routes
KNO (WIMM)
Kualanamu International Airport
Deli Serdang, ID
279 flights
6 routes

Longest Routes

JED → UPG
King Abdulaziz International Airport → Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
5741 mi
SUB → JED
Juanda International Airport → King Abdulaziz Int'l
5377 mi
JED → SUB
King Abdulaziz International Airport → Juanda Int'l
5377 mi
JED → CGK
King Abdulaziz International Airport → Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
4959 mi
CGK → JED
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport → King Abdulaziz Int'l
4959 mi

Shortest Routes

PLM → PGK
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport → Depati Amir/Pangkal Pinang
111 mi
TKG → CGK
Radin Inten II International Airport → Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
119 mi
CGK → TKG
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport → Radin Inten II (Branti)
119 mi
KNO → PEN
Kualanamu International Airport → Penang Int'l
149 mi
PEN → KNO
Penang International Airport → Kuala Namu International
149 mi

All Routes

172 Total Routes
Showing 25 most popular routes
Route Destination Flights Distance Aircraft Last Seen
CGK → UPG Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
407 891 mi B738 Jan 29, 2026
KNO → CGK Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
Tangerang
331 863 mi B39M Jan 30, 2026
SUB → UPG Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
325 492 mi B739 Jan 31, 2026
PLW → UPG Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
253 288 mi B738 Jan 31, 2026
TKG → CGK Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
Tangerang
204 119 mi B739 Jan 31, 2026
UPG → CGK Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
Tangerang
200 891 mi B738 Jan 30, 2026
MDC → UPG Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
183 589 mi B739 Jan 30, 2026
TTE → UPG Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
175 677 mi B739 Jan 31, 2026
BPN → SUB Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
141 509 mi B739 Jan 30, 2026
KNO → BTH Hang Nadim
Batam
133 401 mi B738 Jan 30, 2026
CGK → KNO Kuala Namu International
Deli Serdang
128 863 mi B739 Jan 26, 2026
UPG → SUB Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
125 492 mi B739 Jan 30, 2026
KDI → UPG Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
124 209 mi B739 Jan 30, 2026
PKY → SUB Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
100 365 mi B738 Jan 30, 2026
AMQ → UPG Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
99 596 mi B738 Jan 30, 2026
LOP → SUB Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
99 257 mi B738 Jan 18, 2026
BDJ → SUB Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
95 304 mi B738 Jan 30, 2026
BTH → KNO Kuala Namu International
Deli Serdang
89 401 mi B738 Jan 29, 2026
SOQ → UPG Sultan Hasanuddin Int'l
Makassar / Ujung Pandang
86 860 mi B738 Jan 27, 2026
PNK → CGK Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
Tangerang
78 455 mi B738 Jan 30, 2026
SUB → CGK Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
Tangerang
75 430 mi B739 Jan 28, 2026
PKU → BTH Hang Nadim
Batam
72 191 mi B739 Jan 31, 2026
BPN → YIA Yogyakarta International Airport 71 657 mi B739 Jan 29, 2026
PNK → SUB Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
68 552 mi B738 Jan 30, 2026
CGK → DPS Ngurah Rai/Bali Intl
Bali/Denpasar
68 611 mi B739 Jan 17, 2026
Data Information:

Airline statistics are based on flight route observations collected from FlightAware AeroAPI and other sources. Flight counts represent observed operations, not scheduled frequencies. Route data is continuously updated as new flight information becomes available.

Data Freshness: Real-time
Last Update: Jan 31, 2026 12:01
Coverage: Observed routes only