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Boeing Co will be involved in a project to develop Japan's first passenger jet, but it will not provide investment or help sell the aircraft, Boeing Japan president Nicole Piasecki said Wednesday. Boeing will focus its efforts on larger aircraft than the 70-90 seat Mitsubishi Regional Jet, which would be Japan's first home-grown passenger jet, she said.
She said Boeing was in discussions with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd about collaboration but declined to reveal the details. "There will likely be involvement on our part. However, we will not be selling the aircraft. We will not be investing in the program per se. We will be involved in a minimal way," she said at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd said in March it had decided to go ahead with commercial development of the plane after landing its first order from All Nippon Airways for up to 25 aircraft.
© AFP
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USNinJapan2
There is no need for Japan to develop a commercial aircraft domestically. It is simply counter-productive. Having said that, I'd rather see Honda build a regional jet than Mitsubishi...
Stephane Dauzat
There's no big economic need, sure, but there's a strategic need for Japan to keep up with China's forays in the aerospace sector.
DenshaDeGO
My guess would be that Boeing is too busy with the 787. Also, they don't do small jets.
presto345
No, not the first Japan built jet. Don't forget or discount the famous YS-11!!
presto345
Uhh. Sorry, the YS-11 was a turboprop.
DXXJP
Saw it(YS-11) at one of the friendship days on yokkota. Talk about a trip to the past. But no matter how difficult the FAA made the certification that thing pulled it off.
Why would Honda get into passenger aircraft Mitsubishi has been building planes for a very long time.
usaexpat
Boeing is too busy fighting for the US airforce air taker contract to invest much of anything in this venture. Not sure why Mitsubishi wants to build a regional jet unless they are planning to sell abroad to go up against Saab and Canadair and other small jet makers.
usaexpat
DXXJP I flew one of these about 4 years ago, it was a lot like the Lockheed Electras and DC-6s that I flew as a kid in the 70s. It's always amazing to my younger friends that these 20 or 30 year old prop planes were still common in the states back then. I always kinda liked prop planes and was sad to see the YS-11 retired.
saru_au
I think you'll find Mitsubishi made the "zeros" of WWII
presto345
I flew in the YS-11 a couple of times from Haneda to Hiroshima (back then!)
Me too. But a couple of these aircraft are probably still flying. Have a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAMC_YS-11
Sarge
"Boeing is too busy with the 787"
Yeah, they're still trying to get it off the ground, aren't they?
motytrah
Getting into small Jet's make sense. A lot of airlines are getting rid of old 100 or so seat planes (like MD80's and DC9s) over the next 5-10 years. They are looking to downsize seats into the 75-80 passenger range. In addition, they want the new planes to be able to have a domestic first class area. More demand, and more quality expected for the next generation of planes.