DUBAI, June 3 (Reuters) - Israeli airline El Al must

make a decision soon on placing an order for narrow-body jets

with Airbus and Boeing ( BA ) or otherwise risk losing

delivery slots, its CEO said.

Airbus and Boeing ( BA ) are locked in negotiations with El Al to

win an order from the Israeli flag carrier for around 30

aircraft to replace and expand its fleet of narrow-body jets.

"We will probably want to take a decision soon, otherwise

we're going to lose the slots," El Al Chief Executive Dina Ben

Tal Ganancia told Reuters at an airline conference in Dubai.

The Israeli carrier, which operates an all Boeing ( BA ) wide- and

narrow-body fleet, has been assessing Airbus' A321neo jets

against Boeing's ( BA ) comparative 737 MAX aircraft for the order.

Ben Tal Ganancia did not say when exactly the airline would

make a decision and said that negotiations were continuing with

both planemakers. Chief Financial Officer Yancale Shahar last

week told Reuters the airline would decide within a few weeks.

Shahar said an order would be worth about $2 billion.

Ben Tal Ganancia said the airline would hope to start

receiving the narrow-body jets it orders from 2026-27, although

she acknowledged that Airbus was sold out until about 2029.

Boeing ( BA ), meanwhile, is facing a crisis over major industrial

and safety issues that have led to an overhaul of management,

scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and delays in producing new jets.

Ben Tal Ganancia said she believed Boeing ( BA ) had no other choice

than to transform the company and fix the many issues it faces.