Page 6 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2015 Online Magazine
P. 6
FEATURE REGIONAL JETS
Testing the Skies
New and established regional aircraft makers will face an increasingly competitive and flooded market
By Jay Menon
A new bAttle is heAting up As seat versions.
Japan and China prepare to compete Similarly, COMAC also boasts of 280
in a swelling market for regional jets, firm orders for the ARJ21 aircraft, with the
currently dominated by Embraer of Brazil first customer being Chengdu Airlines,
and Canada’s Bombardier. the airframer’s subsidiary.
While Japan’s Mitsubishi plans to
conduct the maiden flight of its passenger Opportunities Galore
jet in the second quarter of this year, The growth of the regional jet market has
China’s first domestically built regional jet created multiple opportunities for new
ABOVE: Mitsubishi
Aircraft performed the achieved certification from the country’s entrants to join the race, but it may still
first engine run for the civil aviation authority late last year. take few years for the fledgling companies
starboard side engine Despite several delays, the Mitsubishi to build a truly global presence with the
of MRJ’s first flight test Regional Jet (MRJ) and the ARJ21-700, sales and marketing and maintenance
aircraft at the apron built by Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China support networks necessary to present a
of the Nagoya Airport (COMAC), are now getting ready to take credible threat to the entrenched airplane
(Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi up the commercial challenge. Both the manufacturers in this segment such as
Prefecture) on Jan. 13. aircraft are due to enter service this year. Embraer and Bombardier.
Mitsubishi’s MRJ may still be a “paper
OPPOSITE PAGE:
COMAC boasts of 280 plane” as Teruaki Kawai, the president MRJ Challenge
firm orders for the of Mitsubishi Aircraft, puts it, since the MRJ will face the first test-- whether a
ARJ21 aircraft, with the aircraft has not been flown yet; but the new entrant can successfully break into
first customer being airframer has already sold about 400 the leading jet makers’ ranks.
Chengdu Airlines aircraft, initially offered in 76-seat and 88- Japan’s first domestically-built airliner in
6 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM
