Virgin Blue to buy up to 50 Boeing planes = = = = Wednesday January 15, 7:10 PM EST = SYDNEY, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Richard Branson's discount Australian airline = Virgin Blue [VA.UL] said on Thursday it will buy up to 50 new 737 next ge= neration aircraft from Boeing Co in a contract worth up to $3.1 billion. The deal gives Virgin Blue the right to purchase 50 aircraft, 10 of which= have been converted to firm orders for 737-800 aircraft, the airline sai= d in a statement. All 10 will be delivered by August 2004, taking the Virgin Blue fleet siz= e to 40. Virgin Blue said the remaining 40 rights would either be used to swap out= older planes or to increase its fleet to fulfill any domestic or interna= tional expansion plans. Shares in transport company Patrick Corp, which owns half of Virgin Blue,= were up 0.8 percent or 10 cents at A$13.10 in the first hour of trade. = =A92002 Reuters Limited. = Roger EWROPS