Updated

Boeing and Aeroflot signed a deal Saturday for the Russian carrier to acquire 22 Dreamliner jets from the American plane maker.

Scott Carson, Boeing Co.'s commercial airplanes chief, said delivery of the 787 Dreamliners to Aeroflot would begin in 2014.

A deal for the acquisition had long been in the works, but it appeared to have foundered since late last year amid a chill in relations between Washington and Moscow.

Asked if the deal represented the healing of the political rift, Carson said: "It represents a business relationship between us and Aeroflot, and we're very proud of that relationship."

Aeroflot CEO Valery Okulov, who signed the agreement with Carson, acknowledged that the deal was worth billions of dollars, but refused to reveal a specific figure.