Dubai's Emirates Airline was to sign a contract on Monday with Airbus Industries, the European airliner consortium, for five Airbus A3XX superjumbo airliners with an option on five more, a company spokesman said.
The contract worth some 2.43 billion euros (2.27 billion dollars) would be signed on the sidelines of the Farnborough air show, which opens Monday in southern England, the spokesman said.
Emirates, which belongs to the Dubai government, announced at the end of April that it had ordered five of the new Airbus A3XX superjumbo airliners and taken an option on five more, making it the first buyer of the new plane.
The new plane, which has been under research for four years, will be able to carry 555 passengers non-stop up to 14,150 kilometers (8,800 miles).
Emirates is aiming to become the Middle East's leading airline, pushing passenger volumes to five million this financial year and up to seven million by 2003 - DUBAI (AFP)
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