Mitsubishi hopes global ambitions will fly with revamped jet

At the Paris Air Show in June 2007, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries unveiled a sleek, gleaming silver mock-up of an aircraft it hoped would conquer the world’s regional jet market. Twelve years and billions of dollars in overruns later, the conglomerate was back at this year’s show, rebooting a programme that was billed as the fulfilment of a national and corporate dream but instead became an investor nightmare. At the pavilion of Mitsubishi Aircraft, many turned out to see the renamed Mitsubishi Regional Jet — now the SpaceJet — and hear how executives plan to rise above the design flaws and other setbacks that delayed deliveries 5 times. The buzz was also fuelled by the news last month that Mitsubishi Heavy is negotiating to buy the regional jet programme of Bombardier. <br/>