Mitsubishi delays MRJ deliveries by a year

Mitsubishi Aircraft is to delay the first delivery of the MRJ regional airliner by around a year, to mid-2018.

Initial delivery of the aircraft had been scheduled for the second quarter of 2017. But the airframer recently disclosed that it was reviewing the entire development plan following the commencement of flight-testing.

Mitsubishi has revealed that it will amend the schedule, shifting first delivery to “approximately one year later” than previously indicated.

The maiden flight, and subsequent testing, have shown that the Pratt & Whitney PW1200G-powered twinjet’s basic performance is “satisfactory”, says the airframer.

“However, we also have recognised several issues as we attempt to accelerate our development,” it says.

While Mitsubishi has not given in-depth detail on these issues, it refers to progress in its engineering activity and says that it has “made additions and revisions of test items” to create a “better-integrated aircraft”.

It has not elaborated on the nature of these amendments.

The airframer says it has been working with specialists in the USA – where it has engineering facilities – during the examination of the MRJ programme. It says it will conduct flight-testing in North America “as soon as feasible”.

“In order to tackle these issues and address [them] we have reviewed and revised our overall schedule,” the company adds. “We will be managing our milestones and increasing the precision of our schedule as we progress.”

Mitsubishi Aircraft says it remains “firmly committed” to producing an aircraft with “higher levels of safety and reliability”.