AMSTERDAM, March 14 (Reuters) - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) said on Thursday its tender procedure to replace part of its fleet was continuing and denied newspaper reports it would shortly make a decision to purchase planes. The Dutch flag carrier said in August that it had invited Boeing (BA) and Airbus (EAD)(EAD) to submit offers for the replacement of KLM's 12 Boeing 747-300s and possibly other aircraft at a later stage. The tender process was delayed after the September 11 attacks in the U.S. and the subsequent severe effects on the aviation industry, but talks are still going on. KLM's supervisory board was informed about the developments on Wednesday but no decisions whatsoever have been taken, KLM spokesman Jan-Christiaan Hellendoorn said. Including a possible later replacement of KLM's MD11 and Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, the order could total 34 planes. But Hellendoorn said buying new aircraft was not a foregone conclusion as upgrading the current 747-300s was also an option. He declined to give financial details of the possible order but said the contract sum of up to 5.7 billion euros ($4.98 billion), which was mentioned in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, was far too high and "devoid of any reality". A decision on the replacement or upgrading of KLM's fleet will be taken in the first half of this year, Hellendoorn said. ©2002 Reuters Limited.