Page 19 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2019 Online Magazine

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CRJ700, will have United Airlines as the launch
operator. “The new CRJ550 model is the only
solution in North America that can replace the
existing fleet of ageing 50-seaters, a market of
over 700 aircraft, said Fred Cromer, President
of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. It offers
improved passenger experience with ample
on-board storage for carry-on bags and more
passenger living space. This is one more
example of how we are focusing on creating
value for our customers and a very important
endorsement from United in regards to the CRJ
platform.” For US operators the ability to lever-
age the cockpit commonality from the CRJ200
to the CRJ900, will be a major draw and the
CRJ550 will also offer 99.5 per cent proven
dispatch reliability to operators in addition to
elimination of gate check bags, and also have
the option of providing in-flight connectivity.

Making up for Lost Time
Clean sheet aircraft designs are always risky
and in the world of commercial aviation, delays
in getting an aircraft into service are often a
death knell for the type in question. Mitsubishi
Aircraft Corporation has had a wretched time
of developing its new generation regional
transport aircraft contender, which is now
late to market by seven years. In an effort to continued partnership with the JCAB and the FAA as the pro-
remove the stigma of delay associated with the gram progresses toward first delivery to launch customer ANA in
Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), its parent com- 2020. The MRJ flight test fleet has now crossed more than 2,000
pany Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is planning flight test hours. “It has been a year of significant progress for us,
to rename the regional transport aircraft as from receiving Type Inspection Authorization and beginning type
‘Space Jet’. Mitsubishi has said that it will pro- certification testing, to making investments to strengthen core
vide further updates on the programme at the commercial functions of our company. We’ve undertaken a great
upcoming Paris Air Show and that it is making deal of hard, but productive, work optimizing our products and
steady progress towards type certification and building the team that will bring them to market,” says Alex Bellamy,
remains on track for first delivery in mid-2020. Chief Development Officer at Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation.
As the Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation team
conducts certification flights three hours east “The opportunity for replacing regional jets with a solution that
of the new headquarters at Moses Lake Flight paradigm-shifts expectations of airlines and passengers is com-
Test Center, the close proximity will further the pelling,” he goes on to say. Mitsubishi forecasts, that at least 5,000

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