[DUBAI] Boeing looks set to dominate next week's Dubai Airshow with more than US$100 billion of deals as it aims to launch its latest long-haul jet with up to 250 potential orders from as many as five airlines, industry sources said.

The US planemaker is pressing ahead with the launch of its 777X mini-jumbo despite uncertainty over where it will be made, after workers at the existing 777 plant outside Seattle rejecting a new employment contract on Wednesday.

Bulging civil and military bank balances in the Gulf remain a magnet for Western aerospace executives as they seek to tap thriving demand for jetliners and combat aircraft that offer some respite from defence cuts at home.