(Yicai) June 29 -- China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, two of the country's big three state-owned carriers, have signed orders with Airbus and Boeing, respectively, to buy a total of 32 planes worth around USD13 billion.

China Eastern will purchase 25 wide-body A330 Neo aircraft from Airbus, with deliveries set between 2029 and 2033, the Shanghai-based airline announced on June 26. The catalog price for the jets is about USD9.4 billion.

The new planes will replace at least 10 A330 Ceo aircraft China Eastern plans to retire in the order delivery period, the company noted, adding that they will help increase the number of its intercontinental flights and raise the flight density at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, solidifying the airport's role as an intercontinental transfer hub.

This is the second order signed between China Eastern and Airbus in three months. The airline announced at the end of March that it had inked a purchase agreement for 101 A320 Neo narrow-body aircraft for a total catalog price of about USD15.8 billion.

On June 26, China Southern said its wholly-owned subsidiary China Southern Cargo ordered two B777F and five B777-8F cargo planes from Boeing, expected to be delivered between 2027 and 2034. The catalog price of the seven jets is USD3.6 billion.

The contract also includes the option to purchase three more B777-8F aircraft, which would increase the catalog price of the order to USD5.2 billion, the Guangzhou-based carrier noted.

As China's cross-border e-commerce industry matures, domestic firms are going global at a faster pace, which, along with the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, creates great growth opportunities for China Southern's cargo business, the firm pointed out.

This order will help ensure the steady growth of China Southern Cargo's market share, optimize its fleet structure, and enhance its profitability and core competitiveness, the company added.

Both China Eastern and China Southern clarified in their statements that the final price of their deals will be much lower than the catalog price, given the large discounts offered by Airbus and Boeing.

China Eastern [SHA: 600115; HKG: 0670] was trading down 2.5 percent at CNY3.95 (58 US cents) in Shanghai and 1.7 percent at HKD3.41 (43 US cents) in Hong Kong as of 1.30 p.m. today.

China Southern [SHA: 600029] fell 1.7 percent to CNY5.32 as of 1.30 p.m. in Shanghai today. Its Hong Kong-listed stock [HKG: 1055] declined 1.7 percent to HKD3.52.

Editor: Futura Costaglione