Airbus delivered 69 new aircraft to Chinese mainland carriers in 2007, accounting for more than 15 percent of its total worldwide deliveries, an Airbus China source told Xinhua on Monday.

Airbus China described the country as one of the markets with the most robust growth momentum.

Last year, Airbus delivered 453 new aircraft to customers globally, setting a new industry record.

By the end of January, the total number of Airbus aircraft in service in China reached 393, accounting for 37 percent of the country's current fleet. China still had a combined order of 478 aircraft outstanding from Airbus, according to the company.

Experts hold that the country is playing an increasingly important role in the world's aviation market. The nation's aviation industry scale is predicted to grow by an annual growth rate of 11.1 percent from 2007 to 2011, boosted by its rapidly expanding economy.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2008)