Trans States cancels order for up to 100 SpaceJet aircraft

Trans States Holdings has cancelled an order for up to 100 Mitsubishi SpaceJet aircraft, in the latest setback facing the Japanese manufacturer’s long-delayed regional jet program. Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. (MAC) announced Oct. 31 that Trans States Holdings—parent company of three US-based regional airlines—has terminated its contract for 50 firm orders of the SpaceJet M90, which included purchase options for 50 more. Mitsubishi said in a statement the decision was made because the larger M90 variant does not comply with union scope clauses, which limit regional aircraft to 76 seats and maximum takeoff weight to less than 39,000 kg. While the 88-seat M90 does not comply with US regional carrier scope clauses, the 76-seat M100 does. MAC president Hisakazu Mizutani suggested in a statement that Trans States may consider replacing its canceled M90 order with an order for the M100, although he did not offer any details. When the two companies signed the contract for the M90 in October 2009—back when the aircraft was branded as the MRJ70—they had expected that scope clause restrictions on the larger variant would eventually be loosened, a prediction that has so far failed to materialize. <br/>