Tomorrow, Mitsubishi Aircraft will roll out its entry into the world’s regional jet competition, the MRJ-Japan’s first commercial airliner in more than 50 years. The product of a partnership between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toyota, the 70- to 90-seat regional jet is priced at $42 million. Mitsubishi reports it has 191 firm orders for the aircraft from customers including U.S. regional groups Trans States Holdings and Sky West Inc., as well as Japan Airlines Co. Ltd. First delivery is set for June 2017.
The prime selling point for the MRJ is the use of new-generation engines from Pratt & Whitney that burn 20 percent less fuel than competitive powerplants. However, three years of delays in design and development has allowed regional jet powerhouse Embraer to effectively catch up by using the same engines on its E-jets, with deliveries to begin in 2018. Bombardier, also a major builder of regional jets, has been concentrating on the 150-seat market with its CSeries, which may leave a gap in the 70- to 90-seat market that Mitsubishi can exploit, claiming that its aircraft is clean-sheet design as opposed to a re-engined machine. Nevertheless, Mitsubishi will have to establish a support system that will rival those of Embraer and Bombardier to gain access to the highly competitive airline market.The last Japanese-built airliner was the YS-11, a 64-seat turboprop that had a production run of 182 aircraft. Skills learned designing and building the YS-11 helpedMitsubishi, along with other Japanese manufacturers, enter the modern airline manufacturing world. They now make many of the components and subassemblies of the Boeing 767, 777 and 787.
