Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (Nagoya Chubu) parent, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has confirmed reports in the Japanese media that deliveries of its first M90s are to be postponed by another two years.
According to Japanese national public broadcaster NHK, ANA - All Nippon Airways (NH, Tokyo Haneda), the type's launch operator, is scheduled to only take delivery of its maiden aircraft of the type in mid-2020. Last year, the firm had indicated the first aircraft would be delivered in mid-2018.
Sources close to the project told NHK that technical shortcomings with the positioning of the aircraft's electronics have forced a review of its design. The changes mean the MRJ90's type certification will, therefore, be delayed until about autumn 2019.
Asked for comment, Shinya Katanosaka, the president of ANA Holdings, said the delay would force the conglomerate to retain its ANA Wings (EH, Sapporo Chitose) unit's fleet of B737-500s in service longer. Likewise, Katanosaka's counterpart at rival JAL - Japan Airlines (JL, Tokyo Haneda), Yoshiharu Ueki, said J-Air (Nagoya Komaki) would retain its E170s in service for longer as well. However, in JAL's case, it only expects the first of the locally-manufactured jets to arrive in 2021.
"I know that developing a domestic passenger aircraft for the first time is not an easy job and I ordered it after understanding the risk," Ueki said. "I have a sense of confidence in Japan's manufacturing, I believe that they will deliver the goods."
