program update
Is entry-into-service finally approaching
for Mitsubishi’s regional jet and will it be
good enough to answer its critics?
arly in January production officials
at Mitsubishi Aircraft handed over
the tenth SpaceJet airframe to the
flight-test team, starting a year
during which the manufacturer hoped to finally achieve
airworthiness approval and entry into service for the
regional airliner.
But any other good news remained firmly grounded
as parent company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)
confirmed earlier unofficial reports of a sixth delay for
the troubled program.
Unveiling third-quarter earnings results for Japanese
mid-2019 as the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ),
the wait?
Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 – the 12 months to March 31, 2020 –
underwent major re-engineering that began in 2016 to MHI senior executive vice-president and chief financial
officer Masanori Koguchi told business analysts:
“Unfortunately, we had scheduled to acquire SpaceJet
Type Certification in 2020, as well as the All Nippon
Airways commercial delivery. This will now be
postponed to FY2021 and onwards.”
The decision represents further slippage to a
development schedule that has not only suffered five
previous postponements, but already included up to 12
months contingency for unforeseen considerations.
The SpaceJet, known before a re-branding in
AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM // MARCH 89
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