Dubai airline Emirates plans to replace “a large chunk” of its Boeing 777 aircraft with a new model launched by the planemaker, Emirates' President Tim Clark (photo) said this week.

Boeing announced earlier in May that it had begun selling an upgraded aircraft family code-named 777X, launching a race against Airbus for sales of long-haul jets.

Fast-growing Gulf carriers are expected to be the first and biggest customers for Boeing's latest offering.

“I'm looking to replace a large chunk of them (777s). It'll be a large order,” Clark told reporters in Dubai, without specifying the number of planes Emirates plans to order.

Emirates is the largest 777 operator with up to 175 jets.

Source: Reuters