Tuesday, June 14 2005 16:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: In a multi-billion dollar deal, private airliner Jet Airways today (Jun 14, 2005) signed agreement with Boeing and Airbus to acquire a total 30 aircraft, apart from having options for 20 more aircraft.

In the deal signed at the ongoing Paris air show, Jet signed a pact with Boeing to acquire six Boeing 777-200 LRs (long range), four Boeing 777-300 ERs (extended range) and 10 Boeing 737-800s NGs (next generation) with options for ten more additional Boeing 777s, the airline said in a release.

The 777s, which would be delivered beginning late 2006, would be used to operate non-stop flights between India and the US while the 737s would be delivered in early 2006.

The Naresh Goyal promoted airline also signed ten A330-200/300 aircraft with options for ten more.

The two deals could be worth over $4 billion as per catalogue prices, sources said.

Deliveries for these aircraft are to commence in the first quarter of 2007.

Jet presently has taken three A340-300 aircraft on lease for its operations to UK and take an equal number of A330-200 in February next year.

Jet becomes the second after Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher airlines to announce a major fleet expansion plan at the air show at Le Bourget in Paris even as proposals of Indian Airlines for 43 Airbus aircraft is pending with the Government while Air-India board had only two months ago decided to purchase 50 Boeing aircraft spread over seven years.