Japan's first homegrown passenger jet will make its debut flight in the week of Oct. 26 to 30, placing it on course for delivery to its first customer after repeated delays.
A further announcement will be made one day before the flight, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., the manufacturer, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., its parent, said in a statement Wednesday.
Mitsubishi is attempting to break the dominance of Bombardier Inc. and Embraer SA in the global market for small passenger jets as travel demand increases. The planemaker has won orders from SkyWest Inc. and Trans States Airlines Inc. in North America, as well as from ANA Holdings Inc. and Japan Airlines Co., the country's two largest carriers.
The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is scheduled to be handed to ANA in 2017. The plane will come in 78- or 92-seat models, with the larger one set to debut first.
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