=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2004/12/21/f= inancial0759EST0023.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, December 21, 2004 (AP) Airbus to sell 30 aircraft to India's budget airline (12-21) 04:59 PST BANGALORE, India (AP) -- Airbus SAS on Tuesday won an order Tuesday for 30 aircraft valued from India's budget carrier Air Deccan in a deal valued up to $1.8 billion, the third big announcement in the Asian market in a week for the European aircraft maker. "We are excited about what Air Deccan is bringing to India in terms of l= ow cost air travel," said John Leahy, the chief commercial officer of Airbus, the world's biggest commercial aircraft manufacturer. He told reporters that delivery of the aircraft will begin in September 2005. No other details were available. The order is part of plans by Air Deccan -- which started operations in August 2003 as India's first budget airline -- to increase its fleet to 60 aircraft in five years. "As we all know, Airbus is technologically superior, keeps pilot training costs and maintenance low," G.R. Gopinath, Managing Director of Air Deccan said. Kingfisher Airlines, another Indian low-cost operator, placed an order on Saturday for 10 Airbus planes. It also entered into agreement with Airbus that gave it the option to buy another 20 planes. In all, the deal could be worth up to $1.8 billion. Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia said last week it will buy 40 A320 passenger jets in a deal worth about $2.5 billion and phase out its all-Boeing fleet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2004 AP