Mitsubishi Said to Plan MRJ Flight to U.S. as Early as Monday

Kiyotaka Matsuda

September 26, 2016 — 10:59 AM ICT

·         Sensor problems forced cancellation of two flights last month

·         Mitsubishi Aircraft plans to fly four planes to U.S. this year

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., the builder of Japan’s first home-made passenger jet, is planning to fly its initial test plane to the U.S. as early as Monday after aborting flights last month, a person familiar with the plan said.

The flight depends on good weather, said the person, who asked not to be named as the information isn’t public. Company spokeswoman Miho Takahashi declined to comment on the date of the flight.

The flight resumption will give a boost to the program after the company -- a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. -- had to take the plane back to the hangar after two aborted test flights in as many days in late August. Japan is trying to break the regional-jet duopoly of Brazil’s Embraer SA and Canada’s Bombardier Inc. with its new jet, which can seat as many as 92 people.

The aircraft, which made its first test flight in November last year, will fly to Moses Lake, Washington in the U.S. The company plans to fly four test aircraft to the U.S. this year.

Original post: bloomberg

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