July 21 (Bloomberg) -- Air China Ltd., the country's biggest international carrier, is seeking approval to sell shares in Shanghai to pay for aircraft orders needed to start new routes.

The carrier plans to sell as many as 2.7 billion new yuan-denominated A shares to be traded on the Shanghai stock exchange, Beijing-based Air China said in prospectus posted on the regulator's Web site. The regulator will meet on Wednesday to review the company's initial public offer plan.

Air China said in February it wants to sell the stock for at least 90 percent of the price of its Hong Kong- traded shares, implying a price-raising goal of about $830 million.

Air China, China Eastern Airlines Corp. and other carriers are expanding their fleets and increasing routes to tap rising traffic demand as economic growth, pegged at 11.3 percent in the second half, turns China into the world's second-biggest market after the U.S., measured by passenger traffic.

Air China, which had had 176 planes at the end of last year, plans to use the funds raised from the share sale to buy 20 A330-200 planes from Airbus SAS, 15 of Boeing Co.'s 787 aircraft and 10 Boeing 737-800 planes, according to its prospectus.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tian Ying in Beijing on ytian@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: July 21, 2006 08:43 EDT