Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing international airlines, has signed a heads of agreement for 10 of Boeing’s new 747-8F aircraft, to be powered by General Electric’s GEnx jet engines, in a deal worth $3.3 billion.

The heads of agreement was signed recently at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, and Alan Mulally, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer.

The engine component of this deal is valued at more than $600 million, and Sheikh Ahmed and GE Aviation’s President and CEO Scott Donnelly, also signed a letter of intent today for 45 GEnx jet engines to power the new aircraft ordered.

The 10 747-8F aircraft, scheduled for delivery from 2010, will support Emirates’ long-term growth plans by providing additional capacity and operational flexibility for its air cargo services. Emirates currently operates nine wide-bodied Boeing 747Fs and Airbus A310Fs, and also has eight 777Fs on its order books.

Sheikh Ahmed said: “The 747-8 freighters that we are ordering will put Emirates in a strong position to tap into the growth of cargo traffic and reinforce Dubai’s standing as a growing international hub for air cargo and logistics. This acquisition will help Emirates SkyCargo reinforce its position in the top league of leading cargo carriers.”

Dubai-based Emirates currently operates a fleet of 94 wide-bodied aircraft to over 80 destinations around the globe.

With the implementation of this heads of agreement for 747-8Fs, Emirates will have more than 100 wide-bodied jets pending delivery, worth approximately $30 billion.

Emirates flies from Malta to Dubai four times weekly via Larnaca, Cyprus on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on A330-200.