NEW YORK (AFP) - China's Xiamen Airlines has finalised an order for six Boeing 787 Dreamliners to expand its long-haul international service, the companies announced on Monday.

Xiamen initially announced its intention to buy the 787-8s, Boeing's high-tech, fuel-efficient jetliners, in May 2011.

The order is worth US$1.3 billion at list prices. Xiamen is China's only airline with an all-Boeing fleet.

Based in the city of Xiamen on the south-east China coast in Fujian Province, the airline currently serves south-east and north-east Asia.

But with the introduction of the 787 Dreamliners beginning in 2014, Xiamen Airlines said it planned to launch new long-haul routes from Fujian to Europe, North America and Australia.

"Adding 787s to our all-Boeing fleet is a strategic decision to facilitate our international expansion plans," Che Shanglun, president and chief executive of Xiamen Airlines, said in a statement.

"The range and efficiency of the 787 makes it an ideal fit in our new, non-stop international routes." Founded in 1984, Xiamen Airlines has booked profit for 27 consecutive years. It currently operates a fleet of 97 Boeing airplanes.

It is a member of SkyTeam, the global airline alliance that includes Air France, KLM, Alitalia and Delta.

Boeing shares were up 0.8 per cent to US$106.23 in afternoon trade in New York.