Dubai’s Emirates is nearing a deal to buy Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets

Emirates is closing in on an order for Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliners that has been on the cards for more than two years, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

A deal could be signed off as early as this week, said the people, who asked not be to named because the information isn’t public. Discussions are still ongoing and the outcome may depend on whether the airline can reduce an existing firm order for Boeing’s larger 777X jets, they said.

In an interview on Tuesday with Bloomberg TV, Emirates President Tim Clark said the carrier is considering the Boeing 787 order. Emirates had committed to buying 40 Dreamliners at the 2017 Dubai Airshow, but never finalised the agreement. It’s organising a press conference Wednesday in the city.

Representatives of Emirates and Boeing declined to comment.

The Gulf carrier sealed an order on Monday for 50 Airbus SE wide-body planes, shrinking a tentative commitment made earlier in the year after a fleet strategy review and publicly-aired concerns about aircraft performance. Chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum unveiled the plan in Dubai to purchase A350-900 jets worth $16bn at list prices.