TOKYO - Japan Airlines plans to buy 42 jets from April 2025 to March 2034 with a catalogue price of about $12.39 billion as it seeks higher fuel efficiency and plans to expand international services, the airline said on Thursday.

A robust recovery in passenger demand also helped JAL lift its group net profit forecast to 90 billion yen ($596 million)for the current year ending in March, up from 80 billion yen. The latest estimate topped the average 85.4 billion yen profit forecast by 10 analysts by IBES.

Japan's second-largest airline plans to buy 21 Airbus wide-body A350-900 and 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, the company said in a statement.

It also plans to buy 11 A321neo narrow-body jets between fiscal years 2025 to 2033.

Higher-efficiency jets are in high demand as international travel nears a full recovery from the pandemic and has spilled over into competition for engine and maintenance contracts.

JAL said it aims to maintain and improve its competitiveness by introducing state-of-the-art aircraft.

($1 = 150.9600 yen)

(Reporting by Maki Shiraki and Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Gerry Doyle)