Malaysian long-haul budget airline pioneer AirAsia X today said it will buy up to 15 new Airbus A330-300 aircraft to begin services as it branches out from its short-haul beginnings.

AirAsia X operator, Fly Asian Express (FAX), said it would buy 10 of the aircraft with an option for five more.

"Fly Asian Express, the world's first and newest and long-haul low-cost airline, has announced its intention to order 10 A330-300s, with options on five additional aircraft," FAX said in a statement.

"The new A330-300 aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2008. In the meantime, FAX is in the final stages of firming up its interim fleet," it said.

AirAsia X was unveiled by aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes in January, who launched regional budget carrier AirAsia more than five years ago.

"Over the next five years we hope to have 25 (A330-300) aircraft," said Fernandes, who also announced a re-branding of the carrier.

"AirAsia X will go and will now be known as AirAsia long-haul," he said.

The Malaysian entrepreneur is not the first to try budget long-haul travel but analysts say the model remains to be proven despite its success on short-haul flights.

Kick off delayed

AirAsia X was originally scheduled to begin flights to Britain in July this year, with seats to be available on the Internet from February with fares as low as RM9.99.

Operations hit a snag when FAX chief executive officer Raja Mohamad Azmi said in March services may be delayed up until September 2008, with delays in Airbus's new super-jumbo disrupting the aircraft leasing market.

FAX Monday issued a new timeline, saying it would begin flights in the fourth quarter of 2007 from the low-cost carrier terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

"Our first flight is out of KLIA in September 2007," said Azmi, without elaborating.

The A330-300 announcement cements a growing relationship between AirAsia and the European aircraft manufacturer.

In 2005-2006, AirAsia bought 100 A320s to service its expanding short-haul operations in the region and in January signed contracts buy 50 more of the aircraft, with an option for another 50.

"AirAsia has already successfully pioneered the introduction of low-cost airline operations across the region and is committed to a large fleet of A320s for long-term growth," John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer, said in the statement.

Fernandes launched AirAsia as a regional budget carrier in December 2001 with two aircraft. It now has 50 planes flying to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.