Japan's 1st passenger jet MRJ makes maiden flight

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet, a small narrow-body aircraft, has become the first domestically produced airliner since the YS-11 turboprop was rolled out half a century ago. After a series of delays in development, the jet took off from Nagoya airport in central Japan at 9:35 a.m. It landed about 90 minutes later, welcomed by a cheering crowd of about 500 people, including personnel from the plane's developer Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. "It's close to a huge success," Mitsubishi Aircraft President Hiromichi Morimoto said at a press conference in Nagoya. "We made people worried (after the development schedule was delayed), but we've lived up to their expectations," Morimoto added. The 35-meter-long twin-engine aircraft will have 70 to 90 seats, with its slim body design that reduces air resistance helping it consume around 20 percent less fuel than other aircraft of similar size. The jetliner has a range of around 3,800 kilometers, allowing it to cover the distance between Tokyo and Shanghai or Taipei. To cater to requests from European and Japanese airlines, Morimoto indicated his company may consider developing a 100-seat MRJ. The MRJ is expected to face competition from rivals such as Brazil's Embraer SA and Bombardier Inc. of Canada at a time when demand for regional jets is projected to grow further in coming years. Smaller jets are seen as a flexible alternative for airlines to meet seasonal demand or operate routes on which larger aircraft would be less economical. In preparation for Wednesday's flight, the MRJ made a successful test run at the airport in Aichi Prefecture at take-off speed on Saturday. The jet will conduct 2,500 hours of test flights. The development of the MRJ, which began a decade ago, has boosted hopes for future growth of the country's manufacturing industries, as the airplane requires millions of parts. Cabinet ministers also lauded the maiden flight of the MRJ, development costs for which are partially shouldered by the government. "It is the dawn of a new era for Japan's aviation industry," Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Motoo Hayashi said in a statement. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference that the government will help promote the MRJ abroad. Japan's aviation industry faces a host of challenges to become sustainable, however, as it needs to secure a labor force that can support the manufacturing base and gain sales know-how. The country has not seen success in the development and mass production of a passenger plane since the unprofitable manufacturing of the YS-11 ended at 182 units. It was last delivered in 1974. The momentum began to build in the 2000s for the aircraft industry's revival, and Mitsubishi Heavy decided to launch the MRJ business in 2008. "It's a dream come true. I've been hoping for this to happen someday at this airport," said 73-year-old Toshihiko Ito, who also witnessed the first flight of the YS-11. Mitsubishi Aircraft had initially been arranging for a first flight in May but postponed it to review part of the plane's design. The maiden flight was then arranged for late October but postponed again as the cockpit pedals needed to be improved. The developer has received orders for a total of 407 MRJs from domestic and foreign carriers. The launch customer, Japan's largest airline All Nippon Airways Co., is scheduled to take delivery of the passenger jet between April and June of 2017.