Malaysia's long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X will announce its choice of 20 aircraft worth some four billion dollars next month for its service to Britain and China, a senior official announced.

"An evaluation to pick either Airbus 330-300 or Boeing 777-200 for the new long-haul carrier AirAsia X has been completed and an announcement will be made in March," Raja Mohamad Azmi, chief executive officer of Fly Asian Express (FAX) told AFP.

"Both are great aircraft," he added. He did not elaborate.

AirAsia X, a new long-haul, low-cost carrier was unveiled in early January and is expected to carry half a million passengers in its first year of operation.

The airline will be operated by FAX, which currently operates rural air services on Borneo island.

Airline officials familiar with the purchase plan said price and availability of aircraft are among the major factors in deciding the winner.

Raja Azmi said the new service will take off in August with inaugural flights to Britain and China being launched simultaneously.

"We will initially lease three aircraft -- either the Boeing 777-200 or the Airbus 330-300 to begin the service," he said.

It also has plans to fly to India and Australia.

Raja Azmi, who is also a shareholder of leading low-cost carrier AirAsia, said the new aircraft would come into service in the third quarter of next year.

AirAsia was launched as a budget carrier in December 2001 with just two aircraft but now offers more than 100 domestic and international flights to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.