Lion Air (JT, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) has signed a contract with Indonesian Aerospace (IAe) for fifty of the manufacturer's new 19-seat turboprop aircraft, the N219. The LCC also holds options for an additional fifty of the type, which will be used to service its thinner, more remote routes. Lion Air will be procuring the N219 in a 19-seat configuration as well as a multipurpose variant. According to the Malaysia Flying Herald, Nusantara Buena Air (Medan Soewondo), a small regional carrier in Western Indonesia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for twenty of the type with options for a further ten. Merpati (Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) has also ordered twenty of the aircraft to replace its ageing fleet of DHC-6 Twin Otters although given its temporary suspension of operations, the status order is now obviously questionable. The turboprop's first flight is expected in 2015.