JAL Selects MRJ for Local Domestic Routes

First MRJ under final assembly in June 2014. (PHOTO  Mitsubishi Aircraft)

NIKKEI web-edition reported on August 28 that Japan Airlines has chosen MRJ, regional jets under development by Mitsubishi Aircraft.  

JAL will introduce MRJ to its domestic destinations from 2021 by replacing aging feeder fleet.  Fuel efficient, MRJ is expected to lower fuel bills for JAL while bringing with more flexibility to adjust flexibility of operations by seasonal change, thus reinvigorating JAL’s local network that once shrunk during the carrier’s corporate rehabilitation processes.

JAL will introduce 32 MRJs, billed about JPY 150 billion (USD 1.4 billion) by catalog price. The fleet will be based at Osaka Itami Airport for operations by its subsidiary J-Air that currently flying both Bombardier and Embraer small aircraft.

MRJ, either 70- or 90-seat,  will  become commercially available in 2017 according to Mitsubishi Aircraft. Applying with more composite materials and GTF engines, MRJ has a target of fuel consumption lower by 10 to 20 percent than today’s counterparts.

ANA, the launch customer of MRJ, has ordered 25 previously.

Mitsubishi Aircraft received order for 375  MRJs including options. Adding 32 more from JAL, Mitsubishi will mark over 400 orders that is said to be break-even point for MRJ development and production. Further, expectations of cost reduction by volume production may accelerate its marketing in overseas markets. ■

Mistubishi Heavy Is Serious to Commit to MRJ Full Production

MRJ: Mitsubishi Getting Ready for Series Production With New Plants Nearby Nagoya Airport

from SankeiBiz and various sources 2014/2/13

Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, majority stockholder of Mitsubishi Aircraft, announced its readiness to undertake full-fledged production of Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRj) due to fly in 2015.  The plans include construction of a new plant for final assembly nearby Nagoya Airport, Aichi as well as new manufacturing facilities in its existing plants such as its Kobe Shipyard, Hyogo and Matsuzaka Plant, Mie.

1. At Kobe Shipyard, its excess space after withdrawing from commercial vessel building would be turned into production assembly line of its wings, wing box, skin surface treatment and painting. Matsuzaka Plant which used to produce car air conditioners would be assigned to produce MR J's tail wings. Mitsubishi’s plants in Aichi is busy with projects for Boeing 787 and the company plans to utilize other available plants out of Aichi.
2. Fuselage and wings assembly would take place at Tobishima Plant, Aichi; a new plant for final assembly would be erected nearby Komaki South Plant which is adjacent to Nagoya Airport and currently engaging in assembly work of prototype aircraft.
3. Flight testing would use both Nagoya Airport and Kitakyushu Airport, Fukuoka.
4. MRJ, developed by Mitsubishi Aircraft would be produced by Mitsubishi Heavy: first flight is being planned in the second quarter of 2015 and the first delivery in the second quarter of 2017 to its launch customer All Nippon Airways. Its backlog is more than 300 now and Mitsubishi wishes to get more orders with full-fledged production capabilities. Mitsubishi has not got any new order in the past year as potential customers could not be convinced of MRJ production capacity.
5. Regional jet market has a big potential as airliners need to replace their aging aircraft and Mitsubishi wants to get a good share of the pie.