Etihad Airways, the state-owned carrier of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, said on Sunday that it ordered 56 wide-body planes from US aircraft maker Boeing as part of a deal that included options for another 26 planes.

James Hogan, the chief executive of Etihad which celebrated its 10th anniversary last week, said on the first day of the 13th Dubai Airshow that the deal represents an investment of 25.2 billion US dollars, the largest single order Etihad ever placed since its inception in 2003.

The deal includes 25 Boeing 777X aircraft, of which 17 are 777- 9X and eight are Boeing 777-8X. Etihad (Arabic for union) is the first carrier which orders the 777-8X, which will come into service at before 2020. It also ordered 30 Boeing 787-10 dreamliners and one Boeing 777-200 freighter.

At the media briefing, Hogan announced Etihad had selected General Electric Aviation as engine partner for the Boeing fleet order.