Japan Airlines orders 32 MRJs and 27 Embraer E-Jets

Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to order 32 Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) aircraft, in an order worth ¥150bn ($1.4bn). JAL stated it plans to deploy the MRJ on domestic routes from 2021, operated by J-Air, the group's 100%-owned regional airline subsidiary.

The order is an apparent backtrack on a previously stated lack of interest in the MRJ, as reported in Airline Economics #21’s regional aircraft feature (“The Eternal Debate”, page 62).

JAL has also signed a firm order with Embraer for a total of 15 E170 and E190 regional jets, with an additional 12 options. The order is worth up to $677 million at 2014 list prices. The aircraft will also be allocated to JAL’s regional subsidiary J-Air, alongside the 15 E170s that the airline currently operates, and delivery will commence during 2015.

Yoshiharu Ueki, Representative Director, President of Japan Airlines, said: “We have been operating our E-Jets for five years and the aircraft have achieved an outstanding 99.7% dispatch reliability. They are efficient and have displayed exceptional performance. Having the combination of E170s and E190s in our fleet will give us greater flexibility, enabling us to match capacity with demand on routes within our existing and future networks. Our passengers have been impressed with the space and comfort on board our E170. They value the fact that there is no middle seat.”

Paulo Cesar Silva, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said: “This repeat order by Japan Airlines is an affirmation of the added value that E-Jets have brought to its operations over the years – it has enabled the airline to grow its domestic network in a sustainable way. The E-Jets have a proven global track record and we look forward to the operational debut of the E190s in Japan. It is a reaffirmation of the family concept to see the E190 complementing the E170 fleet also in Japan, enhancing J-Air’s operations, and delivering a seamless passenger experience across its network. The airline will also benefit from the high level of commonality between the two E-Jet types.”