BOC Aviation, the aviation leasing unit of Bank of China, said Monday it has signed agreements to lease eight new Airbus A320 aircraft to the Qantas Airways of Australia.

The planes will be delivered from European manufacturer Airbus between the third quarter of 2010 and first quarter of 2011 and will be operated by Qantas' fast-growing low fare subsidiary Jetstar, it said in a statement.

The Singapore-based company supplied the first three A320s to be operated by Jetstar in 2004, according to the statement.

On Friday, the company announced at the Singapore Air Show that it has ordered five A330-200F cargo aircraft from Airbus.

BOC Aviation has more than 70 aircraft flying with 29 airlines worldwide and another 64 aircraft on firm orders for delivery through to 2013.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2008)