FILE PHOTO: An employee is seen passing the nose of a Boeing 737 MAX during a media tour of the Boeing 737 MAX at the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington December 7, 2015. REUTERS/Matt Mills McKnight/File Photo

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech airline Travel Service said on Thursday it had signed an order for nine additional Boeing 737 MAX planes for its fleet in November, increasing its total order book for the model to 39 planes.

It said eight new Boeing 737 MAX planes would be supplied in 2018 and 15 in 2019 as part of fleet renewal planned until 2023.

Travel Service is in the process of acquiring majority in national airline Czech Airlines and operates charter flights and low-cost airline Smartwings.

It said eight of the total order of 39 planes would be bought and the rest leased. The planes will have 189 seats and on-board WiFi entertainment systems, it said.

China’s CEFC directly holds 49.9 percent stake in Travel Service and further shares indirectly. Founder Jiri Simane and business partners control the rest.