China Eastern Airlines said it has signed an agreement to purchase five Airbus A319 aircraft in a deal worth 1.9 billion yuan (US$230 million).

In a statement to the Shanghai stock exchange, the airline, one of the country's top three carriers, said it would take delivery of the 124-seater planes between February 2006 and July 2007.

"These jets will help us meet growing demand for domestic air travel in coming years and aid us in our drive to penetrate high-temperature, high-altitude routes," the Shanghai-based airline said Friday.

The purchase agreement has been approved by regulatory authorities, it added.

China Eastern has been on a buying spree recently, signing a deal with US aerospace giant Boeing for 15 of its new 787 jets in January.

Last year, it spent two billion dollars on 20 Airbus A330s to replenish its fleet in response to robust air travel demand.

(CRI.com March 19, 2005)