MRJ banks on fuel efficiency, low noise and cabin comfort

From the Eastern Hemisphere, serious inroads, albeit delayed, are being made into the regional jet (RJ) market by two players— Russia’s Sukhoi Superjet 100 and Japan’s Mitsubishi MRJ. Both are fast gaining momentum and they made their presence felt at Farnborough. Meanwhile, the Chinese programme ARJ21 has hit a roadblock.

There was a windfall for Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation which got a firm order for 100 MRJs from SkyWest, the holding company for the two regional air carriers, who conduct the world’s largest combined regional airline operations. The first delivery is expected in 2017 and all aircraft will be delivered by 2020. MRJ’s first flight has been slated for 2013 and the first delivery to 2015.

MRJ has received 130 aircraft orders so far including 25 (15 firm, 10 option) from All Nippon Airways, 100 (50 firm, 50 option) from Trans States Holdings and five (all firm) from ANI Group Holdings. The agreement, if developed into a binding purchase order, would increase the number of orders for the MRJ to 230 aircraft.

One out of every four departures is an RJ

Giving the market dynamics and forecast for regional jets, Hank Iwasa, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation said that one out of every four departures was made by a regional jet in 2011 and that the growth of regional jets was 45 per cent from 2003 to 2011, while narrow body and wide body aircraft registered a 41 per cent growth.

Regional jets, he said, had a large and well-diversified customer base across the globe. The fleet size was 3,287, of which 57 per cent was in North America; 20 per cent in Europe; eight per cent each in Asia-Pacific and Latin America; four per cent in Africa and three per cent in the Middle East. There were 214 operators worldwide with Europe accounting for 25 per cent; followed by Africa at 21 per cent; Asia-Pacific at 18 per cent; North America and Latin America at 14 per cent each; and the Middle East at eight per cent.