Emirates Airlines on Sunday agreed to purchase 40 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners for $15.1 billion, its chief Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said at the opening of the Dubai Air Show.

Emirates is already the world's largest client for Boeing's 777, with 165 jets and another 164 on firm order.

Sheikh Ahmed said the deal raises total orders from Boeing, the global competitor of Airbus Industries, to as high as $90 billion.

Delivery of the Dreamliners is scheduled to start in 2022.

Emirates, the largest carrier in the Middle East, is also the world's biggest client for Airbus 380 superjumbo jets with 100 planes. It has firm orders for another 46 jets.

"We have reached a conclusion that the Boeing 787-10 jets are the best choice for us," Sheikh Ahmed said.

"Emirates' orders today will be delivered from 2022, taking the airline well into the 2030s," he said in a statement.

"Some of these will be replacements so that we maintain a young and efficient fleet, and others will power our future network growth," he said.

"We see the 787 as a great complement to our 777 and A380 fleet, providing us with more flexibility to serve a range of destinations as we develop our global route network."

source: AFP