MHI gets 1st overseas order for passenger jet from U.S. airline+

TOKYO, Oct. 2 Kyodo -
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Friday a U.S. airline company will
purchase up to 100 small passenger jets under development by an MHI subsidiary,
marking the first overseas order for the aircraft.

The Nagoya-based subsidiary, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., won the order from
Trans States Holdings, which has two leading regional airlines under its wing.
Trans States Holdings has finalized orders for 50 of the passenger jets, dubbed
the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, and placed tentative orders for another 50,
according to a press release by Mitsubishi Aircraft.
The announcement now puts the total number of orders for the MRJ at 125, which
includes the first 25 from All Nippon Airways Co.
''We will seek to expand global sales following the latest order,'' Mitsubishi
Aircraft President Hideo Egawa said at a press conference.
Egawa declined to disclose the value of the order ''for fear of affecting other
business negotiations.''
ANA became the first airline to place a formal order for the MRJ, announcing
March 27 it had finalized orders for 15 units and placed tentative orders for
another 10.
Trans States Holdings is based in St. Louis, Missouri, and has Trans States
Airlines and GoJet Airlines under its wing, Mitsubishi Aircraft said. It has
350 daily flights to 50 cities and also provides feeder services to United
Airlines and US Airways.
The MRJ is set to become Japan's first domestically developed passenger jet,
which will seat 70 to 100 passengers. MHI has said the planned jet is
fuel-efficient and will provide a low-noise cabin environment and aims to
launch it in 2012.
Mitsubishi Aircraft is expected to begin the delivery of MRJs to Trans States
Holdings in 2014.
==Kyodo
2009-10-02 23:46:35