LONDON, 9 May 2005 — Emirates, the fast-growing Gulf airline, will announce in June the purchase of 50 Airbus A350 aircraft, the Sunday Times newspaper reported yesterday. Dubai-based Emirates’ $6 billion (4.6 billion euro) contract, to be announced at the Bourget airshow near Paris, will be the largest order for the aircraft which is due to enter service in 2010, the newspaper said. Emirates is already the largest future client of giant Airbus A380, the largest airliner in the world and due for commercial service next year, with 43 aircraft ordered. The new A350 order would take the Toulouse, France-based aircraft maker, over its initial sales objective of 50 aircraft orders by June, following the 10 bought by Spanish airline Air Europa. The A350 project has become a crucial battlefield in the fierce competition with US aircraft manufacturer Boeing. The twin-engine, long-haul plane is aimed at competing with Boeing’s planned fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner, which the US company hopes will help it regain the top spot in global commercial aviation.