Lion Air was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of the largest low-cost carriers in the country and a core member of the Lion Group. The airline builds on Boeing 737 narrowbodies with a small number of Airbus widebodies, runs a dense, high-frequency Indonesian domestic trunk network and extends to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for regional and Hajj traffic. Lion Air uses low fares and high frequency to build its passenger network, and beyond passenger baggage its belly space forms low-cost cargo capacity open to freight, adding space on two-way flows between China and Indonesia.
The operating hubs sit at the core airports of Java and Sumatra: Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) is the primary base, with Surabaya Juanda (SUB), Denpasar Ngurah Rai (DPS) and Medan Kualanamu (KNO) as secondary bases. That dense domestic network lets Lion Air distribute international cargo arriving in Jakarta quickly to second-tier Indonesian cities such as Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Makassar, Batam and Palembang, forming a belly channel from the international gateway into the archipelago.
For Chinese shippers, Lion Air itself does not operate scheduled passenger flights from China to Indonesia, and its international cargo capability is expressed mainly through arrival at the Indonesian hub and domestic feeder distribution. Direct belly and combi capacity from China to Indonesia is mostly provided by group affiliate Batik Air, which includes Guangzhou and Shanghai in its international network. Taken as a group, Lion Air offers a complete chain of passenger belly space, domestic transit and return-leg cargo collection for China-Indonesia trade.
Indonesia is the largest economy in ASEAN and an important trading partner for China in Southeast Asia. Chinese exports cover electromechanical goods, auto parts, telecom equipment, new energy components and consumer products, while Indonesia exports coal, nickel ore, palm oil, seafood and cash crops to China. Continued growth in that trade creates steady demand for high-frequency, low-cost belly capacity, and the depth and frequency of the Lion Group's domestic network fits that supplementary flow, which needs both speed and cost control.
Lion Air focuses on the Indonesian domestic market and no dedicated office in China is publicly listed; contact its local agent in China or ask Goodhope Freight to make the connection. Passenger and cargo sales and ground connections in China have long been handled by authorized agents and partner forwarders, and shippers rarely book with the carrier directly.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited acts as an international freight forwarding window at origin in China and can handle space enquiries, rate negotiation, waybill preparation and arrival notices for Lion Air and group affiliate Batik Air belly capacity. The shipper only needs to provide cargo details, origin and destination airports and transit requirement, and Goodhope Freight replies within one to two working days with available space and total cost, sharing the waybill and tracking information with the shipper.
The Lion Air website is lionair.co.id, and carrier times, aircraft types and schedules follow that site and the notices in force on the day of booking. Where a Chinese shipper needs written confirmation of group affiliate belly policy at Chinese points, Goodhope Freight can request a loading conditions letter from the carrier's cargo department.
The active fleet is overwhelmingly Boeing 737 family aircraft, the basis of low-cost high-frequency operation. According to figures published in industry aviation databases, Lion Air flies about 118 passenger aircraft, including about 65 Boeing 737-900ER, about 38 Boeing 737-800 and about 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8, plus a small number of Airbus A330 widebodies on dense domestic trunk and Hajj charter routes. The 737s are laid out all-economy at high density, and the lower-deck holds also offer belly capacity open to freight.
| Aircraft type | Approximate number in service | Typical layout | Belly cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-900ER | About 65 | All-economy, about 215 seats | Main type on Indonesian trunk routes; belly takes low-density cargo and e-commerce express |
| Boeing 737-800 | About 38 | All-economy, about 189 seats | Belly on high-frequency regional routes, suited to small and medium general cargo consolidation |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | About 10 aircraft | All-economy, about 180 seats | New-generation fuel-efficient type for medium regional belly cargo |
| Airbus A330 family | About 5 | High-density all-economy | Widebody belly, able to take larger return lots and charter loads |
These figures follow public aviation databases; aircraft in service and on the ground change with rotation, maintenance and leasing arrangements, and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs. Piece size and weight in the Boeing 737 lower holds are limited by the narrowbody airframe, so over-length and over-weight cargo must be declared in advance for the carrier to assess loadability. The Airbus A330 belly is larger and releases more return capacity outside the Hajj season, which suits bulk shipments of Indonesian seafood, frozen fish and light industrial goods.
Lion Air (JT) itself operates no scheduled passenger flights in China and publishes no scheduled belly timetable at Chinese airports. Chinese shippers reach Indonesia through the Lion Group mainly on group affiliate Batik Air's scheduled flights from Guangzhou, Shanghai and other Chinese hubs, moving cargo first to Jakarta or Surabaya and then distributing it to second-tier Indonesian cities on Lion Air's dense domestic network.
| China origin airports | Connecting carriers | Arrival hub in Indonesia | Schedule basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) | Group affiliate Batik Air | Jakarta CGK | No published detail on schedules; actual schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking |
| Shanghai Pudong (PVG) | Group affiliate Batik Air | Jakarta CGK / Surabaya SUB | No published detail on schedules; actual schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking |
| After arrival at Jakarta CGK | Lion Air JT domestic regional | Bandung, Semarang, Makassar and others | Several flights daily, times local |
Shippers in north and east China can consolidate cargo to Guangzhou or Shanghai by domestic truck flight and load with the affiliate carrier; shippers in south China can deliver to the Guangzhou Baiyun terminal nearby. Goodhope Freight has cargo solicitation and consolidation points in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Foshan to help shippers outside south China with pre-carriage and export clearance. All cross-border times are local, schedules vary with the season and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.
Through the Lion Group network, Chinese shippers reach Indonesia and the surrounding Southeast Asian region, extending to Saudi Arabia on the Hajj routes. Chinese exports start from Guangzhou and Shanghai, enter the Indonesian domestic distribution network at Jakarta or Surabaya and cover Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Bali.
Suitable Chinese exports to Indonesia include electronic parts, telecom equipment, electromechanical products, hardware and building materials, textiles and apparel, general merchandise and cross-border e-commerce parcels. Return traffic from Indonesia is typified by seafood, edible bird's nests, coffee, rattan products and palm oil derivatives, of which live and temperature-controlled cargo needs cold-chain belly space and insulated ground handling.
Third-country points reachable within the region include Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia and Bangkok in Thailand, where cargo can connect at Jakarta to Lion Air or partner regional flights. Longer-haul destinations in Europe, the Americas and Africa fall outside the group's low-cost belly network and require a separate long-haul carrier arranged by Goodhope Freight.
On export handling, Chinese cargo consolidates at two main points, Guangzhou Baiyun and Shanghai Pudong. South China shippers deliver nearby, while east China shippers connect to Shanghai by coastal truck or domestic flight. After arrival in Jakarta, Lion Air's domestic regional flights, several a day, move cargo to points across the archipelago, so Chinese e-commerce parcels, parts and spares reach Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi markets beyond Java in a short time. For brand owners needing nationwide distribution in Indonesia, this hub-and-spoke structure is more economical than direct flights to each point.
The first advantage of Lion Group capacity is the density and frequency of the Indonesian domestic network. Jakarta, Surabaya and other hubs run dozens of domestic sectors a day, so international cargo can be distributed to second-tier archipelago cities within one or two days, which shortens final delivery noticeably. The high frequency of a low-cost carrier also provides flexible top-up capacity, responding to peak season demand faster than traditional freighter routes.
The second is cost. Lion Air keeps unit operating cost low through its low-cost model, and its open belly rates are competitive, which suits price-sensitive e-commerce and light industrial shippers with steady volume. For general cargo with a moderate transit requirement where cost is the priority, group belly space is a strong-value option on the China-Indonesia lane.
The third is the fit with return capacity. Indonesian seafood, edible bird's nests and coffee are strongly seasonal, and belly space on the widebodies and outside the Hajj season can provide bulk capacity for cold-chain and specialty return cargo. Goodhope Freight can cost the export and return legs together at booking to help shippers balance costs in both directions.
The fourth is elasticity in peak season. Around Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr travel peak, Lion Air adds many passenger flights and releases belly space at the same time, which coincides with the pre-holiday stocking peak for Chinese exports to Indonesia. Shippers can use that window to absorb concentrated order volumes and avoid being squeezed off a single freighter route in peak season. Goodhope Freight tracks the pattern in that window and can lock stocking-season space in advance.
Lion Air itself has no direct booking channel for Chinese shippers, and booking is done through an authorized freight forwarder. Shippers should submit a shipping instruction to Goodhope Freight seven to ten days before the planned departure, with pieces, weight, dimensions, commodity, shipper and consignee details and transit requirement. Goodhope Freight completes the affiliate belly enquiry and quotation within one to two working days and replies with available space, cut-off time and the arrival connection plan.
The cut-off is usually 24 to 36 hours before departure, and cargo must be delivered to the Guangzhou Baiyun or Shanghai Pudong terminal, or to a Goodhope Freight supervised warehouse in south China, before then. Restricted cargo such as lithium batteries, magnetic items, liquids and powders requires an MSDS, a test report and confirmation of transport conditions at booking. Return cargo such as live seafood and edible bird's nests must be declared separately and meet temperature control and quarantine requirements.
After departure Goodhope Freight shares waybill data and loaded weight, and once cargo arrives in Jakarta or Surabaya the local agent notifies the consignee for collection, connecting to a Lion Air domestic flight to the final Indonesian destination where needed. For customers with steady monthly volume, Goodhope Freight can set up a weekly space reservation to reduce the uncertainty of spot booking.
On documents and compliance, Chinese exporters must have a commercial invoice, packing list, export declaration authorization and a shipper and consignee information list; for categories subject to Indonesian import licensing, the consignee must obtain SNI certification and an import licence number in advance. Goodhope Freight flags the document requirements at booking so cargo is not held in Jakarta for incomplete formalities. For cross-border e-commerce parcels, Goodhope Freight can also combine export consolidation with destination clearance and delivery.
Drawing on its Hajj charter tradition, the Lion Group can deploy widebodies in certain seasons for scheduled and charter flights from Indonesia to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, giving an extra capacity window for project materials and trade cargo toward the Middle East. Frequencies on those routes move with the Hajj season and no schedule is published, so the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.
Within Indonesia, the dense regional network serves as the distribution channel after international arrival, carrying e-commerce parcels, urgent shipments and spares across the archipelago. For Chinese engineering and trading customers needing delivery to inland Indonesian points, Goodhope Freight can clear at Jakarta and then combine Lion Air belly regional flights with local trucking into an airport-to-city delivery plan.
For seasonal return cargo such as Indonesian frozen seafood and edible bird's nests, Goodhope Freight can arrange temperature-controlled widebody belly space with priority loading, working with the consignee's quarantine credentials on the import declaration. Handling conditions and charges for such special cargo are costed and confirmed in writing at booking.
The group also keeps high-frequency routes to tourist destinations such as Denpasar in Bali and Manado, giving Chinese shippers of exhibition materials, tourism supplies and hotel fit-out components a belly connection to those points. These routes swing with the tourist season, and schedules and space are confirmed on the day of booking; Goodhope Freight can combine Jakarta or Surabaya transit with the destination as needed.
This is a schematic of the network, not a map to scale. Lion Air itself radiates from the Jakarta and Surabaya hubs to the Southeast Asian archipelago and regional points; Guangzhou and Shanghai in the China direction are flown by group affiliate Batik Air, with cargo distributed on Lion Air's domestic regional network after arrival in Indonesia. Actual points and schedules vary with the season and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.
According to public route databases, Lion Air (JT) itself operates no scheduled nonstop passenger service within China, with its network built on Indonesian domestic trunk routes, Southeast Asian regional routes and the Jeddah Hajj route. Chinese shippers reach Indonesia through the group on flights actually operated by affiliate Batik Air from Guangzhou and Shanghai to Jakarta, connecting to Lion Air's domestic network after arrival. No schedule is published and frequencies vary with the season, so the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.
Yes. Once passenger baggage is loaded, remaining space in the lower holds of the Boeing 737s is open to general cargo, including electronic parts, electromechanical products, building materials, textiles and general merchandise. Narrowbody bellies limit piece size and weight, and over-length or over-weight cargo must be declared for carrier assessment. Restricted cargo such as lithium batteries, magnetic items, liquids and powders requires an MSDS and a transport conditions test report at booking.
Cargo is loaded in Guangzhou or Shanghai and flown to Jakarta or Surabaya, cleared in Indonesia and then distributed on Lion Air's several-times-daily domestic belly flights to Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Makassar, Batam and other cities. Where further delivery is needed, local trucking takes over at the arrival station. Goodhope Freight costs the transit routing and charges at booking against the consignee address and states the final destination station and connecting carrier on the waybill.
Return cargo such as Indonesian seafood and edible bird's nests can be moved under temperature control in widebody belly space and in capacity released outside the Hajj season. Live and quarantine-controlled goods require the consignee to hold import and export credentials and file quarantine declarations in advance, with insulated ground handling and priority loading. Temperature conditions, packing requirements and charges are confirmed in writing with the carrier at booking.
Shippers should submit a shipping instruction seven to ten days before the planned departure, and Goodhope Freight completes the space enquiry and quotation within one to two working days. The cut-off is usually 24 to 36 hours before departure, and cargo must be delivered to the Guangzhou or Shanghai airport terminal or a Goodhope Freight supervised warehouse before then. Waybill data is shared after departure, and the local agent notifies collection on arrival in Jakarta or Surabaya. For regular customers, Goodhope Freight can set up a weekly space reservation.
Routes, schedules, aircraft types and payload figures here are for reference and follow the official notices of Lion Air and the Lion Group and confirmation on the day of booking. Lion Air itself operates no scheduled nonstop service from China; the China leg is flown by a group affiliate.
Operations and agency enquiries: Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited, website https://goodhope86.com, email info@goodhope86.com
The Lion Air name, logo and related trademarks belong to Lion Air. The material was produced by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited to describe freight services from China.