ANA to buy 15 Mitsubishi Regional Jets

[Pieter C. 5]

ANA To Buy 15 MRJ Jets For USD$763 Mln

 

June 21, 2010

 

All Nippon Airways said it would buy 15 jets from Mitsubishi Aircraft for about JPY¥69.2 billion (USD$763 million), in a boost to Japan's fledgling project to enter the regional jet market.

 

Mitsubishi Aircraft is stepping up efforts to attract more customers for its MRJ jets, Japan's first domestically developed passenger aircraft, which will compete against Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer's regional jet series.

 

ANA said in a statement that its order for 15 90-seat MRJ90s is expected to be delivered between April 2013 and March 2018.

 

The planes are part of ANA's order for 25 MRJs that it placed in March 2008, but the airline previously had not revealed the price or other details.

 

Mitsubishi Aircraft, owned 64 percent by Mitsubishi Heavy, has said that the jet, to be built in 70-seat and 90-seat variants, will be more fuel efficient and help airlines cut operating costs by USD$20 million over the next 20 years.

 

In February, a Mitsubishi Aircraft senior executive said in an interview that the company was also looking to finalise its first sales deal with Japan Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy on January 19.

 

(Reuters)