Dubai state-owned airline Emirates has confirmed it has placed an order for 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft, with a total list price of NZ$25 billion.
The deal, signed at the Dubai Airshow, completed an order that had been in negotiations since early this year.
Airbus and Boeing have been going head-to-head in attempts to attract orders from Emirates, which had put US$30 billion worth of orders on hold due to complaints about delays and performance issues from both manufacturers.
Emirates said it was still in negotiations with Boeing regarding an order for 40 of the planemaker's 787 Dreamliners and a press conference has been scheduled for late Wednesday evening (NZ time).
The airshow has also provided a much needed moral boost for Boeing, with approximately US$6 billion worth of orders for their notorious 737 Max 8 aircraft being made at the event, despite it still being grounded worldwide after two separate disasters killing a total of 346 people.
The total amount spent at the latest biennial Dubai Airshow has not yet been established as the event hasn't finished, but in 2017 the figure was more than NZ$120 billion.
