Mitsubishi Aircraft gets regulatory clearance for MRJ’s first flight

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has given its approval for Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. to conduct the first flight of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ).

The clearance was the final regulatory hurdle before the MRJ’s first flight could take place. After repeated delays, the MRJ’s first flight is now scheduled for the week of Nov. 9.

Mitsubishi Aircraft said it will commence with high-speed taxiing tests and evaluations on the first MRJ flight test aircraft, an MRJ90, in preparation for the inaugural test flight, which is expected to last for about an hour above Nagoya Airport. There will ultimately be five flight test aircraft in the MRJ program,

First delivery of the MRJ is scheduled for the second quarter of 2017 to All Nippon Airways.