Berlin  - Gulf Air ordered 35 jets Wednesday from Airbus at the Berlin Air Show, doubling the size of the Airbus part of its fleet in a purchase package with a list price of
4.86 billion dollars.

The discount terms for the bulk order were not disclosed. The state-owned airline will obtain 15 Airbus A320 jets and 20 Airbus A330-300 planes, the two companies said in a joint statement at the air show. Delivery is set to last over the next five years.

Currently Gulf operates 10 A320 jets, six of the A330-200 model and 9 of the A340-300.

Gulf chief executive Bjorn Naf said, "Gulf Air is currently re- equipping and expanding its route network."

In a setback for Airbus, US customer Jet Blue Airways said in San Francisco it was postponing purchase of 21 Airbus jets for several years because of soaring fuel prices. Jet Blue chief executive Dave Barger said the airline had to be financially cautious.

The original order foresaw delivery of the A320 jets between 2009 and 2011. Jet Blue, in which Lufthansa of Germany has a 20-per-cent stake, expects to accept the aircraft between 2014 and 2015 instead. (dpa)