Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
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Mitsubishi, Bombardier reach agreement to acquire CRJ program
- MHI to acquire CRJ program.
- MHI will acquire the maintenance, support, refurbishment, marketing, and sales activities.
- Deal worth $550m in cash, $200m in assumed liabilities, $180m in a securitization program.
- Transaction to close first half 2020 subject to regulatory approval.
June 25, 2019, © Leeham News: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Bombardier today announced an agreement in which MHI will acquire the CRJ 
program, subject to customary shareholder and regulatory approvals. Closing is expected in the second half of next year.
The CRJ program includes the airplane, the global product support and sales force, manufacturing facilities and other assets. A CRJ installed customer base of 1,300 airplanes and more than 130 operators worldwide.
“Bombardier will continue to supply components and spare parts and will assemble the current CRJ backlog on behalf of MHI. CRJ production is expected to conclude in the first half of 2020, following the delivery of the current backlog of aircraft,” the companies said in a statement.
Pontifications: Heard around the Paris Air Show
June 24, 2019, © Leeham News: Heard around the Paris Air Show last week:
Airbus
Reporters long used to the entertaining and sometimes acerbic tongue former super-salesman John Leahy wondered how Christian Scherer would compare.
By Scott Hamilton
Scherer’s own sharp tongue began to emerge at the Airbus Innovation Days pre-air show briefing last month and got sharper at the
executive round table the Friday before and on Day 1 of the international event.
On Day 2, Boeing and International Airlines Group (British Airways, et al) stunned the world journalists and Airbus with the LOI for 200 737 MAXes. On Thursday, Scherer expressed his displeasure.
The deal wasn’t unprecedented. In the 1990s, Boeing blindsided Leahy with an exclusive deal with American Airlines, followed by Delta and Continental airlines. “I was…pissed,” Leahy told LNA years later.
It seems Scherer is following in Leahy’s shoes in more ways than one.
The launch of the A321XLR was totally expected. The top question: does this kill the Boeing NMA? (LNA’s answer: Nope.)
magniX adds third customer for its electric engines
June 19, 2019, © Leeham News: AeroTEC and the electric motor airplane company magniX said today they have teams to retrofit the Cessna Grand Caravan with a 750 hp powerplant, converting the single-engine PT-6-powered turbofan from “gas guzzling, emissions-creating engine,” says magniX’s CEO Roei Ganzarski.
The announcement was made during the third day of the Paris Air Show.
The Caravan carries about 10 passengers, a combination of passengers and cargo or serves as a cargoliner. FedEx uses the airplane extensively.
Paris Air Show, Day One: Mitsubishi makes case for “SpaceJet” market opportunity
By Judson Rollins
June 17, 2019, © Leeham News, Paris: Senior executives from Mitsubishi Aircraft Company (MITAC) and parent Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) described the long journey to the revamped “SpaceJet” M90 and M100 aircraft. They also commented on what market role the SpaceJet could potentially fulfil, as well as potential incremental improvements to the aircraft.
MHI chairman Shunichi Miyanaga said that market conditions and competitive landscape have changed in the company’s favor as the need for regional jet replacement has grown and competition has dwindled down to just a single player, Embraer.
Evolving the MRJ into the SpaceJet
June 13, 2019, © Leeham News: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. (MITAC)’s redesign of the MRJ70 and launch of the M100 SpaceJet in its place reflects a changing market environment when the MRJ program was launched more than a decade ago.
Then, MITAC—and Embraer—thought the restrictive US Scope Clause with the pilots’ unions of US major carriers would be relaxed by now.
- Related story: A technical look at the new SpaceJet.
MITAC launched the MRJ90 90-seat aircraft, to be followed by the MRJ70, a 70-seat airplane. Embraer launched the E175-E2 re-engined model of the popular E175.
Mitsubishi’s SpaceJet is the new brand for the revised MRI70 design, which has more passengers, a different wing and slightly longer fuselage than the original. Entry into service is planned for 2023. Source: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp.
Neither complied with Scope as then defined, specifically the maximum takeoff weight of 86,000 lbs. Each exceeded this limit by about a ton.
(There are restrictions as to the number of seats and number of airplanes that can be operated by regional airline partners, too, but it’s the weight limit that’s the key issue here.)
Mitsubishi moves would make a lot of sense
By Bryan Corliss
Analysis
June 11, 2019, © Leeham News: © — A deal by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to acquire the CRJ program from Bombardier would make abundant sense for Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp – taking a struggling competitor off the board, acquiring hard-to-find human capital assets, and taking over an established North American American supplier network and a global product support system.
And recent unconfirmed reports that MITAC also is considering a North American final assembly site would make a lot of sense for a company that’s looking to cut production costs – and get closer to some likely key customers.
Yet while everyone in the industry is talking about the potential links between MITAC and the Montreal-based CRJ, nobody’s saying much about the company’s future in Moses Lake (WA). But overlooking Mitsubishi’s growth over the past two years there would be a mistake, because the company certainly is acting like it intends to plant roots there in the Eastern Washington farm country.
- A North American assembly site would bring significant savings;
- Mitsubishi and Bombardier already have close ties; and
- Signs point to MITAC settling in at Moses Lake for the long haul.
Mitsubishi in negotiations with Bombardier to acquire the CRJ program (Updated)
By Bjorn Fehrm
June 5, 2019, © Leeham News.: The Air Current broke the news earlier today Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is negotiating with Bombardier to buy the CRJ program.
BBC has got comments from both companies confirming the discussions, with cautions nothing is settled and it can still result in a no deal. Should it happen it would make a lot of sense for both parties.
UPDATE: Bombardier has issued a statement confirming the discussions, see below.
2019 Paris Air Show Preview
By Vincent Valery
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June 3, 2019, © Leeham News: The 2019 Paris Air Show kicks off in two weeks at the Le Bourget Exhibition Center.
In this preview, we will go over what to expect from commercial aircraft OEMs.
Mitsubish renaming, revamping MRJ, considers US production line: Nikkei Asia news
Updated, 3pm Brazil time, with Bombardier statement and additional response from Embraer.
May 29, 2019, © Leeham News, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil: Mitsubishi is changing the name of its MRJ jet, revamping the smallest version and considering a US production line, the Japanese news agency Nikkei Asia Review reported May 29 (Japan time).
The MRJ is now called SpaceJet.
The report comes on the final day of the Embraer Paris Air Show Media Days and just before the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Assn., which opens June 1 in Seoul.
It’s unknown if the timing of the leak is deliberate or coincidental.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp (MITAC) hinted at changes to the airplane at a press briefing in April at its new Renton (WA) US headquarters.
Timing and events appear to be converging to boost the new MITAC jet.
Mitsubishi sets stage for announcement at Paris
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Introduction
By Bryan Corliss
May 10, 2019, © Leeham News: Senior officials of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said they’ll announce a new concept to replace their proposed MRJ70 at next month’s Paris Air Show. But they’re keeping details to themselves until then.
“We’ve got a couple rabbits in our hat,” said Alex Bellamy, the chief development officer for the MRJ program. “We’d like to keep them in our hat for now. But rabbits have a habit of bouncing.”
Bellamy spoke with a handful of industry reporters Friday at a roundtable following the formal grand opening of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp America’s new office in Renton (WA). The event – which included the ceremonial opening of sake barrels with hammers–attracted senior executives from MITAC’s headquarters in Nagoya, Japan, and local business and government leaders.
Mitsubishi is flight-testing the 92-seat MRJ90 in the skies above Moses Lake (WA). But in Nagoya, engineers are working on a clean-sheet design for a 76-seat, three-class regional jet.
It’s what the market is calling for, Bellamy said, and right now, there’s a declining number of competitors willing to provide it.
Summary
- One competitor is going, the other doesn’t have a modern, Scope-compliant aircraft.
- 50-years opportunity.
- Combining comfort and new-technology economy