Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said it would place a $8.1 billion order for 14 more Boeing Co 777-9 jets, in its first deal with the US planemaker in 12 years.

The Hong Kong-based carrier has the right to buy seven more, it said in a statement. Bloomberg News reported the deal earlier Wednesday. It expects the aircraft to be delivered by 2034.

The announcement came as Cathay reported a small rise in first-half profit on strong demand for air travel.

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The company reported net income of about HK$3.7 billion ($471 million) in the six months ended June 30, up 1.1 percent from a year earlier. Revenue rose 9.5 percent to HK$54.3 billion.

The order for additional Boeing jets is a major boost for the 777X program, which is still to be certified and is years late coming into service. Cathay’s last Boeing order was in 2013. Since then, the US planemaker has lost to rival Airbus SE on commitments amounting to about 150 jets.

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Cathay’s latest order makes it one of the largest buyers of the 777X, behind Gulf carriers Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways.

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Cathay was one of the first airlines to commit to the 777X program when it placed an order in December 2013 for 21 777-9s.

The carrier had also been closely studying the 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft type it does not operate, as well as additional Airbus A350s.

New jets would help Cathay replace existing older-generation Boeing 777 aircraft and help support growth that it forecasts coming from an expanded Hong Kong International Airport.

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Cathay Pacific, whose major shareholders include Swire Pacific and Air China Ltd, operates a fleet of 236 aircraft: 73 Boeing planes and 163 Airbus jets. It has agreements to buy more than 110 new aircraft, according to its 2024 annual report.

Airbus has previously scooped up consecutive orders with Cathay for passenger widebody, single-aisle and freighter jets.