Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., which plans in 2013 to launch Japan's first domestically produced jetliner, is not looking to enter the jumbo jet fray, MHI President Hideaki Omiya said Thursday.

Mitsubishi Heavy plans to launch regional jets — medium-size aircraft with 60 to 99 seats — in 2013, expecting strong demand for such jets amid rising fuel costs and the growing need for short-range travel.

Omiya also said MHI hopes to win orders for about 1,000 jets, around one-fifth of the anticipated global demand for regional jets in the next 20 years.