Emirates Airline, the flag-carrier of Dubai, has cancelled an order for 70 Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft, according to a release from the manufacturer.

European giant Airbus said the decision followed a “fleet requirement review” by the Middle Eastern carrier.

The order dates back to 2007 when Emirates originally placed 50 orders for the A350-900 and 20 for the A350-1000.

Deliveries were due to begin from 2019.

UK engine maker Rolls-Royce said the cancellation would lead to a £2.6 billion hit to its order book.

However, Airbus said the orders for the new aircraft remained strong, with other airlines expected to take up the delivery slots.

In a statement, Airbus said it was “very confident” in its A350 XWB programme, adding that it had 742 firm orders and it expected the order book to continue growing in 2014.

“Interest in the game-changing A350 has always been very high with customers,” it said.

Emirates has a strong relationship with Emirates, having recently ordered an extra 50 A380 superjumbo planes.

The A350 long-range jet is a competitor to Boeing’s 777 and 787 Dreamliner planes.