Moroccan flagship carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) said on Monday it would soon start talks with Boeing for the purchase of up to five long-haul 787 aircraft, in a deal estimated at USD$790 million.

"RAM's board decided to start talks with Boeing soon after the withdrawal of Airbus from our tender," a RAM senior official said.

He did not say when exactly the talks would start but added: "We expect to reach an agreement in September. The talks will be for four long-haul aircraft with the possibility of buying a fifth plane."

"We are looking at the 787 Dreamliner which offers major advantages to our company," he added, citing lower fuel consumption and the long experience of RAM's technical staff with Boeing aircraft.

RAM tendered in June for the purchase of four long-haul aircraft as part of a large-scale program to renew its Boeing-dominated fleet.

Airbus failed to make a bid by the July 15 deadline, which RAM had postponed twice upon demand from the European plane maker, RAM has said.

"We ended up with one bid on our table from Boeing," the official added.

Airbus said on Friday it would not take part in tendering for the supply to RAM because the Moroccan airline's needs were not clear. It said it was still willing to continue consultations and to discuss all proposals by RAM.

For RAM, the European plane maker is out of the race.

"Our board, which includes representatives of the prime minister, the finance, transport and tourism ministries, deemed the tender transparent and clear and recommended we start the talks with Boeing," the RAM official said.

Airbus had initially offered its future A350 mid-sized carrier against Boeing's 787 in the tender to replace RAM's 757 and 767 Boeing aircraft.

The purchase is part of a plan to buy 22 to 24 aircraft to modernize RAM's fleet of 32.

The A350 and 787 are at the heart of a transatlantic fight between Boeing and Airbus for control of the mid-sized, long-range segment of the jet market.

After redesigning its original concept for the A350 to include more seats, Airbus has been waging a counter-offensive against the 787 since the Paris Air Show in June, with the two rivals battling for every plane order.

Some analysts say the rival jet makers are treading carefully to avoid being played off against each other to depress prices as the industry recovers from a damaging recession.

Aside from a previous order for four A321 short-haul Airbus jets, RAM's loyalties have mainly been with Boeing.

Two of the A321s ordered in 2000 have been delivered and the other two will be delivered in 2007, Airbus said.