Airbus seeks to break Emirates jet order impasse

Airbus sought a compromise to try to unblock dozens of A350 orders from Dubai's Emirates late on Wednesday, buoyed by a deal for 11 of the most popular version of the jet with Ethiopian Airlines, industry sources said. Dubai Airshow talks to rescue a delayed order for long-haul jets, potentially switching to the A350-900 version, looked set to drag into Thursday amid the fallout from a clash with Rolls-Royce over engine performance on the larger A350-1000. Emirates and its suppliers had no immediate comment. The sources said there was no guarantee of a deal before the show ends on Friday. Backroom engine negotiations that are often said to drive big-ticket airplane orders at the industry's marquee events have been grabbing headlines this week, after a public spat between the Dubai carrier and Rolls-Royce. Emirates Airline President Tim Clark warned Airbus and Rolls-Royce on Tuesday that increased engine downtime in harsh Gulf conditions - as well as higher prices for servicing - stood in the way of an order for between 35 and 50 A350-1000 jets. Rolls-Royce said it was taking steps to improve durability of Trent XWB-97 jet engines that power the A350-1000, but rejected Clark's suggestion that the engines were "defective". As buggies shuttled executives between Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Emirates chalets in fading light on Wednesday, sources said differences were narrowing. One said the parties were "close" but not enough to pull off a turnaround on Wednesday. One possible compromise, they said, could involve Emirates making a further purchase of A350-900s while Rolls-Royce studies ways of improving engine durability on the larger A350-1000. Clark on Tuesday described the A350-900, the most widely sold version of the long-haul family, as a "very good airplane". Emirates has already ordered 50 A350-900s, the first of which is due to arrive in mid-2024.<br/>