Japan Enters the Passenger Jet Business
Jeff Edwards September 02, 2015
Mitsubishi is planning a test flight of the first ever made-in-Japan passenger jet next month, marking the country’s first foray into the commercial aircraft business in decades.
Japan’s Mitsubishi plans to go head-to-head with small jet manufacturers Embraer and Bombardier with the introduction of the company’s new Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ). According to company officials, the MRJ will make its first test flight in late October, departing from Mitsubishi Aircraft’s headquarters at Nagoya Airfield (NKM).
When it enter production, the MRJ will be the first ever made-in-Japan passenger jet and signify the first time a Japanese company has tried to crack the commercial passenger plane market since 1983.
According to a Bloomberg report, the company has already taken orders for the new MRJ aircraft from Japan’s two largest airlines — All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. Mitsubishi has won even larger orders from North American regional carriers SkyWest Airlines and Trans States Airlines. With sales centers recently opened in Europe and North America, the company claims 407 orders for its new jet with an additional 184 options for purchase.
“This battle is going to get nasty,” Addison Schonland, a partner at aviation consultant AirInsight, told Bloomberg. “Embraer and Bombardier are not going to give up the fight. We don’t know if there’s room for three players. The pie’s not getting bigger.”
Mitsubishi Aircraft will manufacture both 78-seat and 92-seat MRJ models at its production facilities at NKM. The company is benefiting from a pact with Boeing, which will help to market Mitsubishi’s new regional jet and is providing technical assistance on the project. The Japanese firm opened an Seattle office in August, staffed with nearly 150 engineers to better access technical and development expertise from its North American partner.
[Photos: Mitsubishi]
With the Brazilian Real devalued by 30% its going to be difficult to compete on the Global Market with Embraer Much the same happen when the Japanese tried the YS-11 in 60's the rise in the Yen and their production costs, killed off virtually all their International sales.
As far as I've read the future demand is in more efficient and larger (categories ranging from 150-400 passengers) aircraft, which is why many existing manufacturers, like Boeing (reason they'll help with Mitsu's effort instead of designing one on their own) and Airbus won't enter this smallest sized markets. There is more demand worldwide into imitating more WN's way (more direct flights) than into the hub-and-spoke way we've been served for decades. In the case of > 400 passenger-sized planes only selected areas and cities with the highest flyer densities need what's offered (387-9 and 777 line) can justify their extra cost, and in Airbus' case the modifications needed to the airports' infrastructure just to allow them. I believe both Embraer and Bombardier are realizing this and will be pushing into competition with Boeing's (738) and Airbus (319) smaller planes (just look into Airbus' difficulties into selling the even smaller [107-132 passengers] 318, with only 80 units built in over a decade). About "the rebirth of Fokker", there haven't been any NEW (for the last 5 years or so) news into any real progress on the return of the Dutch to the airplane-making business...
I very much agree sdsearch. The consultant interviewed who gave that quote clearly has an agenda. And in any case, if Mitsubishi can build better, more fuel-efficient A/C, maybe it will spur the other players to try harder. Everyone wins.
Why is the pie not getting bigger? Aren't there forecasts of way more passenger flying in the future, especially in and from places like China? How can more passengers fly if there aren't more planes (assuming planes can't keep getting bigger)? And if there is a need for planes, which isn't the pie bigger in terms of room for more plane manufacturers? Btw, aren't there ALREADY more regional jet manufacturers than just Embraer and Bombardier? (For example, I heard recently about a rebirth of Fokker under a new name.)
I'm sure it's abbreviated as the MRJ as indicated in the photo watermarks, and not MJR as spelled at every mention of the abbreviation in this article. Rouge spellcheck?