China Eastern Airlines signed a contract with Airbus Tuesday to order 20 A320 planes, which are scheduled for delivery in three years beginning 2003.

"The A320 planes will improve our operating efficiency thanks to the aircraft's commonality with our existing fleet," said China Eastern Airlines General Manager Liu Shaoyong at the signing ceremony.

"We are extremely pleased that China Eastern Airlines has again selected the A320 to expand its fleet," said Noel Forgeard,Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO),noting that the agreement marks a new milestone in the long-term cooperation between the two sides.

Based in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines is one of the three largest airline groups in China, with links to more than 40 domestic destinations and over 20 cities abroad. The company operates a fleet of more than 70 planes, 43 of which are Airbus planes.

Airbus' market share has grown steadily since it entered China in 1985. The Airbus fleet in service in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao has grown to 168 from 29 in 1995.

( Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2002)