SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Taiwan’s China Airlines Ltd has provisionally ordered up to six Boeing Co 777 freighters, the companies said on Wednesday, as the carrier attempts to modernize its cargo fleet.

The airline plans to transition from its older 747 freighters to a more modern twin-engine cargo planes on high-yielding routes from Taipei to North America and Europe, China Airlines Chairman Hsieh Su-Chien said.

“Air cargo is an important part of our overall business and the introduction of these new Boeing 777 freighters will play an integral role in our long-term growth strategy,” he said in a statement after the deal was announced at the Paris Airshow.

The air cargo market has had a weak start to 2019, but Boeing has forecast it will double over the next 20 years.