Asian plane makers have thrown huge sums at building jets but flagship projects have suffered repeated setbacks, and they face a tough time breaking into a market dominated by established players.
The companies at the forefront of the Asian drive, Japan's Mitsubishi and Chinese state-owned manufacturer COMAC, have both seen their flagship projects delayed for years. Chinese manufacturers had a good reason for not making much of an impression -- they were forced to pull out because of a ban on travellers from China due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed around 1,400 people and infected tens of thousands.Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation was showing off a mock-up of the interior of its SpaceJet, the first version of which was originally due for commercial rollout in 2013.
But he added that a milestone had been reached as the latest version was ready to be certified by regulators.The plane is for short, regional flights -- such as between a major hub and smaller airports inside the same country -- and its main rival are aircraft made by Brazil's Embraer, he said.