The 500th A330 aircraft manufactured by Airbus was delivered to Hainan Airlines (HNA) Thursday, the HNA Group said here.
The French-made aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, is HNA's first A330. The 222-seat plane is capable of flying 12,500 kilometers, roughly the distance from Beijing to New York.
HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng said the company would acquire 10 A330 aircraft over the next two years to expand its international and domestic business.
The HNA Group, with 136 aircraft operating over nearly 500 routes, is China's fourth largest airline. It currently has 12 A319 Airbus planes and another 98 Airbus aircraft on order.
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2007)