China Eastern plans Airbus order

China Eastern Airlines plans to purchase 10 Airbus A330 jets for as much as US$1.32 billion and is considering placing an order for Boeing 7E7 jets, which are scheduled to be ready in 2008, according to Chinese media reports. China Eastern said that it decided against ordering the 550-seat Airbus A380, to be ready in 2006, indicating that it would opt for a smaller plane designed for shorter flights such as the Boeing 7E7. China Eastern, which requires government approval to purchase new planes, had a fleet of 97 jets at the end of 2003 of which 79 were made by Airbus.