China's Hainan Airlines ordered eight Airbus A319 passenger aircraft, valued at more than 400 million US dollars, from Airbus Tuesday.

The contract was signed at the Fifth China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition being held in Zhuhai City of south China's Guangdong Province.

The eight aircraft will be delivered from 2005 to 2007.

A Hainan Airlines official said this is the first time his company has ordered Airbus aircraft. These planes will mainly be used on its medium and short-range routes, to be based in Beijing, Xi'an and Haikou.

To date, there are more than 250 Airbus aircraft in service in China's mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2004)