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By Tim Hepher, Alexander Cornwell and Pesha Magid
DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - 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.
Airbus won a top-up order for 11 of the same model from Ethiopian Airlines on Wednesday after a delay that delegates also linked to engine pricing talks with Rolls-Royce.
Engines have become a pressing topic as airlines juggle fuel savings from the latest engines against the rising cost of keeping them maintained and flying over 20 years of service.
Airlines are increasingly buying jets at the same time as negotiating complex engine maintenance deals that sit less comfortably with the traditional quick-fire of air show announcements.