BEIJING - CHINA plans to tell its troubled state-owned airlines to delay new aircraft due to a travel slowdown amid economic turmoil, a news report said on Friday, a move could hurt US and European aircraft makers.

Regulators also might put a moratorium on new purchases, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper said, citing Hu Bin, general manager of Xiamen Airlines, a mainland carrier.

A spokesman for the Chinese aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said she could not confirm the report. She refused to give her name.

A cutback in Chinese purchases could hurt global aircraft suppliers Boeing Co and Airbus Industrie, which are looking to China's booming travel market to help drive future sales.

Chinese carriers have been squeezed by high oil prices and falling passenger and cargo revenues. State-owned airlines had total losses of about 4.2 billion yuan (S$927 million) in the first 10 months of this year, according to the government.

Regulators are expected decide on changing delivery schedules at a meeting early next month, Mr Hu said.

Two of China's three major carriers have turned to government for financial aid. China Southern Airlines said this week it will receive a 3 billion yuan capital injection from the government, and China Eastern Airlines said it's seeking the similar help.

In the most recent major aircraft order, the third carrier, Air China Ltd, said in July it was buying 45 Boeing jetliners, one of China's biggest purchases to date. The list price for the aircraft is US$6.3 billion (S$9.4 billion) but Air China said its final price would be lower. -- AP