Jagson Airlines, which is to start service in mid this year, plans to purchase 20 Airbus A321 aircraft at an estimated cost of 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, Indo- Asian News Service reported Thursday.

The company plans to buy 20 Airbus A321 aircraft with a firm order of 14 aircraft and an option of six other aircraft, Jagson Airline CEO Uttam Kumar Bose said.

"We have almost finalized the deal for 20 Airbus aircraft. We are, at the moment, negotiating on delivery dates," Bose said.

The company is trying to persuade the French Airbus consortium for an early delivery in 2007. The company will begin operations with six leased aircraft and the inaugural flight between Delhi and Bangalore will start in April or May.

The service will cover nine cities by the end of this year, Bose said.

Source: Xinhua