Air China Ltd, the Chinese mainland's largest international carrier, has agreed to buy 20 Airbus A330 wide-body planes with a list price of US$3.82 billion. The company, based in Beijing and traded in Hong Kong, will pay for the aircraft with cash, bank loans and debt instruments, it told the city's stock exchange yesterday.

The purchase will increase the fleet capacity by about 16.5 percent, the statement said.

(Shanghai Daily June 27, 2008)