Chinese carrier Shandong Airlines plans to sell five Boeing 737-300 aircraft to China Postal Airlines.

Selling the aircraft will improve operational efficiency and reduce costs associated with maintaining the older aircraft type, the carrier said in a Shenzhen Stock Exchange statement.

The oldest 737-300 - with registration B-2961 and serial number MSN 28156 - was built in March 1996, while the youngest - with registration B-2996 and serial number MSN 29316 - was built in September 1998. Shandong will begin delivering the aircraft to China Postal Airlines from September 2013 till October 2014.

Shandong Airlines plans to replace the 737-300s with 737-800s. This year, it intends to add 15 of the -800s through a combination of purchases and leases, the airline said in an earlier statement.

Beijing-based China Postal Airlines is a state-owned mail and cargo airline. Flightglobal's Ascend Online fleets database shows that the airline has a fleet of 18 Boeing 737-300 and -400 freighters.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news