China Southern orders 55 Boeing 737s

CHINA Southern Airlines has announced plans to buy 55 Boeing 737 aircraft to meet growing demand.

In a statement issued by the airline, it did not say how much the carrier would pay for the planes but Boeing is reportedly charging the company "significantly lower" than the catalogue price.

The order for the 55 aircraft is estimated to be valued at between US$3.1 billion and $4.3 billion.

The carrier says the planes are scheduled for delivery between May 2011 and October 2013.