Indonesia's state-owned Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA) plans to purchase 22 new planes of various types to replace its current fleet over the coming three to five years, an executive has said.

"The plan will include the purchase of 15 Xinzhuo-60 (MA60) planes from China airline company AVIC I," corporate secretary Jaka Pujiyono was quoted Monday by the Jakarta Post daily as saying.

He said the company would focus on buying planes with a maximum capacity of 50 seats to serve passengers in "pioneering and feeder routes."

In the coming years, the company will need to replace at least 22 planes, including the Fokker 27, Twin Otter and Cassa models, said Jaka.

He declined to mention the cost of the new planes.

Jaka dismissed rumors that AVIC I would send one plane to MNA in September this year, and the remaining at the end of 2007.

"If we want to lease a plane this year, they (AVIC I) said they 're ready to deliver it in September. But we haven't made any deal yet on that," he said.

Source: Xinhua