Mitsubishi: MRJ to fly at Farnborough; first delivery still 2020

Mitsubishi Aircraft will conduct demonstration flights of its MRJ regional jet at the Farnborough Air Show in July, the company said, reiterating first delivery is on track for mid-2020. Manufacturing of parts for the first MRJs that will be given a new avionics configuration is almost complete, company President Hisakazu Mizutani said in remarks sent to ATW’s sister publication Aviation Daily. Repositioning avionics was one cause of a two-year development delay announced in January 2017. The other was shifting electrical wiring. “The redesign of the electrical wire harnesses is well underway and manufacturing is planned, incorporating a phased approach,” the company said, quoting Mizutani. The flight demonstrations at Farnborough will be a first for the MRJ, although the aircraft has been in flight testing since 2015. The first MRJ delivery to launch customer ANA is on track for mid-2020.<br/>