But Middle Eastern Airline Says There Is Still A 'Lot Of Work To Do'

Boeing and Emirates Airline are continuing to work on a deal that would bolster the initial production of a re-vamped 777 airliner, but the airline said while many technical issues have been resolved, the two sides are still negotiating over the price of the airplane.

Emirates president Tim Clark said in an interview with Flightglobal that the deal could be announced at the Dubai air show, but only if he is convinced it is the right time. The deal will happen "when it suits us," Clark said.

The launch of the 777X family is targeted for later this year with entry into service around the end of the decade. Emirates is expected to replace the 175 777 airliners it currently flies with the more fuel-efficient model.

Clark said the GE9X engines being developed for the 777X would need a special cooling system to be able to operate in the desert heat during the summer. Without such a system, it would not provide enough benefit to make it worth replacing the current airplanes.

Lufthansa last week announced it plans to purchase an as-yet-determined number of the new 777 airliners.

(Emirates 777 pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.theemiratesgroup.com