China Eastern Airlines to purchase twenty new Airbus A320 jets

June 18, 2009 China Eastern Airlines stated on Thursday that it had signed a contract to purchase a score of passenger jets for 9.9 billion yuan (about US$1.4 billion). The airline, which is the third largest in China, signed the agreement in Paris on June 15. The company said that the planes would meet additional demand for domestic passenger routes.

The deal was approved unanimously by China Eastern's board of directors. The China Daily newspaper reported that the deal is waiting for an approval by Chinese aviation authorities.

The planes are expected to start delivering in 2011 and end two years later.

The Airbus A320 is a single-aisle airplane, and Airbus' best selling jet. It can seat up to 150 people and is used primarily for medium- and short-haul routes.