$10 billion Airbus order

has signed a General Terms Agreement (GTA) for the purchase of 150 A320 family aircraft with China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group (CASGC).

CASGC President Li Hai and Airbus President and CEO Gustav Humbert signed the GTA in Paris in the presence of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

With a total value close to $10 billion, the order for 150 A320 family aircraft comprises A319s, A320s and A321s, marking the largest single order that Airbus has ever received since it entered the Chinese market two decades ago.

The 150 aircraft will be delivered to six Chinese airlines, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, and Hainan Airlines.

By the end of October 2005, the A320 Family had more than 3,900 firm orders from 145 customers worldwide.