CHINA'S Shandong Airlines signed a contract yesterday with Boeing Co to buy 15 B737-800 passenger aircraft with a catalogue price of about US$1.35 billion.

The planes would be delivered to Shandong Airlines over the next five years, said Zhang Xingfu, chairman of the carrier, based in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province.

Shandong Airlines aims to increase its fleet to 100 over the next five years, Zhang said.

Shandong Airlines now operates 48 passenger aircraft on about 110 domestic and international routes.