TAIPEI, June 25 (Reuters) - Taiwan's China Airlines

will spend more than $2 billion to add more Airbus

aircraft to its fleet, consisting of five A350-900

long-haul jets and eight A321neo aircraft for medium and

short-haul routes, it said on Wednesday.

The in the midst of a fleet renewal and last year split an order

for new long-haul aircraft worth almost $12 billion at list

prices between U.S. planemaker Boeing ( BA ) and European rival

Airbus.

In a statement to the Taiwan stock exchange, China Airlines

said that five of the A321s would come from Air Leasing

Corporation at a cost of $240 million, with negotiations ongoing

for the other three aircraft.

The A350s will cost no more than $1.965 billion, or come at

a cost of $1.148 billion for leasing them, the airline said

without providing further detail.

China Airlines' chairman told Reuters this

week that the company was postponing retirement of some of its

older aircraft owing to delays in deliveries of previously

ordered Boeing 787-9 jets.

The airline already operates 15 of the A350-900 aircraft and

its 18th A321 is due to arrive soon.