CAIRO (Reuters) - EgyptAir expects to receive in December the first of nine new Boeing 737-800s ordered as part of plans to upgrade its ageing fleet, its chairman Safwat Mosallem said on Wednesday.

The airline announced last week it had ordered nine Boeing 737-800 planes in a deal valued at $864 million at current list prices. Eight of the planes will be financed by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.

Mosallem told reporters that four Boeing 737-500 planes had now been retired after about 25 years of service.

"The airline is keen to develop its fleet by relying on the most modern aircraft," Mosallem said.

"The first of these aircraft will arrive next December to boost the company's fleet in the coming period as we expect a recovery in the tourism and airline sectors."

(Writing by Lin Noueihed; editing by Adrian Croft)