BOC Aviation, the aviation leasing unit of the Bank of China, said on Wednesday that it had signed a contract to lease two Boeing 777-300ERs to Air Canada.

The planes will be delivered before the end of April. This deal means that BOC's Boeing 777 fleet will rise to 12, the company said in a statement. The leasing division was established in 1993.

The lease is for 12 years, according to BOC Aviation.

The contract will help boost the widebody aircraft team of BOC Aviation as well as its market share in North America, said Steven Townend, chief commercial officer of the company.

The Singapore-based leasing company has 79 aircraft flying worldwide and another 64 aircraft on firm order for delivery through to 2013.

Last month, the company announced that it would lease eight new Airbus A320 aircraft to Qantas Airways of Australia.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2008)