Budget carrier airline AirAsia has announced plans to defer taking delivery of eight Airbus A320 aircraft by four years to 2014.

The airline has postponed the delivery due to infrastructural constraints with airport facilities until a new low-cost carrier terminal is built, AFP reports quoting a company statement.

Airbus will now deliver 16 aircraft instead of the 24 scheduled for delivery in 2010.

The later delivery will allow AirAsia to avoid incurring depreciation and interest expense while the aircraft remain idle without generating revenue.

Airbus may also exercise the option of deferring the delivery of eight more aircraft in 2011 to 2014 if the carrier informs Airbus by the end of October 2009.

The airlines had originally ordered 175 Airbus A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery between 2005 and October 2014.