The first commercial airplane to be made in Japan has made its maiden flight today
The Mitsubishi Regional Jet
Japan’s first ever domestic passenger jet has successfully embarked on its maiden test flight. This is coming as a breakthrough for the country's long-held ambition to establish an aircraft industry that can compete with some of the major players in global aviation.
The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, lifted off from the runway at Nagoya airport on Wednesday.
The two-engine aircraft, approximately 35 metres (115ft) long, flew smoothly upward into clear skies in central Japan.
The plane marks a new chapter for Japan’s aviation sector, which last debuted a commercial airliner in 1962: the YS-11 turboprop, which was discontinued about a decade later.
The MRJ will seat about 80 passengers and is seen competing with other regional passenger jet manufacturers such as Brazil’s Embraer and Canada’s Bombardier.
Mitsubishi Heavy, a military contractor, built Japan’s “Zero” fighter plane.
The developer boasts that the MRJ, a fuel-efficient, next-generation aircraft, will offer more passenger comfort with lower operating costs, eyeing the booming regional jet sector.