TOKYO -- With Mitsubishi Heavy Industries forced to delay delivery of a homegrown jetliner for a fifth time, the Japanese manufacturer's leader stressed the need to hone the company's technological expertise and plan investments over the long term.
The company announced Monday that the Mitsubishi Regional Jet would be delayed to mid-2020, from the planned mid-2018. Mitsubishi Heavy President Shunichi Miyanaga told reporters that the difficulty of aircraft development "has hit home after the eight years of development efforts." The plane being developed by subsidiary Mitsubishi Aircraft would be the first commercial passenger plane from Japan in five decades.
