The COVID-19 crisis and ensuing economic downturn has led to significant challenges in the global aerospace industry. Rapid reduction in demand driven by travel restrictions has airlines grappling with how to conduct business. In a recent article for The Air Current, Courtney Miller highlights an interesting development in the commercial aviation industry that has emerged in light of the pandemic.

You won’t be surprised to know that Mitsubishi Aircraft is closely monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 on the regional aviation sector. In this post and others to come, we intend to share what we’re seeing as part of our commitment to helping the industry understand the current and ongoing impacts of disruptions that were hard to imagine just a few months ago.

It’s self-evident that this is a remarkable event in terms of the scale and impact across commercial aviation. That said – and with the caveat that these remain the early days of a still-unfolding event – our analysis indicates that regional aviation has so far proven to be resilient relative to the overall sector, and that past disruptive events offer signs of hope and strength on the other side of a difficult period.

Examining the four major U.S. network carriers, as of April 15^th mainline aircraft have exited service since January 22^nd at a rate just under 50% greater than regional aircraft (35% for regional, 51% for mainline). Excepting already-planned phase-outs of aircraft, the regional rate shrinks to 30%. A recent analysis by The Air Current demonstrates this phenomenon in practice, and examines the ways in which major airlines are turning to small narrowbodies and regional aircraft to maintain network scale on domestic routes.

With more than 450 employees on-site, the collective global expertise housed at Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation’s Moses Lake Flight Test Center (MFC) is an invaluable driver of the SpaceJet program’s continued progression toward certification and entry into commercial service.

In recent weeks, the Mitsubishi Aircraft team has welcomed a range of international correspondents to its Moses Lake facility for a firsthand look at the work that will enable us to certify and deliver the first ever commercial Japanese jetliner.

See below for stories and reactions from the industry following this year’s visits.

Regional aviation’s prospects have never presented more promise than what’s ahead in the next few decades, according to Australian Aviation. In a recent analysis of the regional market, the publication examined the companies vying for the regional segment, and highlighted SpaceJet’s appeal to an industry in desperate need of fresh thinking.

In conversation with The Washington Post, Mitsubishi Aircraft’s Vice President of Global Marketing Steve Haro discussed the importance of regional travel—especially in North America—and why the company is so focused on transforming this vital category.

Last week, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation took a major step forward in the company’s global expansion by announcing plans to open the SpaceJet Montreal Center in Quebec, Canada. The company made the formal announcement at a press event attended by Quebec Premier François Legault, Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, Japan’s Consul General to Quebec Osamu Izawa, and more. Press reaction hailed Mitsubishi Aircraft’s arrival as a major turning point for the aviation industry in the region, and a win-win for the company and the Quebec.

NASHVILLE – September 5, 2019 -- Today, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mesa Airlines, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mesa Air Group, Inc., to commence formal negotiations for the purchase of 100 Mitsubishi Aircraft SpaceJet M100 aircraft. The MOU was announced during a signing event at Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation America’s booth during the Regional Airline Association (RAA) annual conference held, this year, in Nashville, TN, and targets 50 firm orders and purchase rights for an additional 50.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation’s efforts to reshape the regional aviation market took a significant step forward yesterday, as parent company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced that it will acquire the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) program from Bombardier. The deal strengthens the company’s global capabilities, complementing its existing assets with the CRJ program’s deep well of talent and resources – particularly in customer support and engineering. This provides an important boost to ensuring the commercial success of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet family.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation was one of the biggest draws at this year’s Paris Air Show. See below to hear more about what has the industry excited about the SpaceJet Family and the future of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation.

It’s been an exciting first two days at Le Bourget as industry insiders have taken in the launch of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet family of aircraft.  If you missed it, click here to see the inspiration behind the name SpaceJet.  Or click here to see photos from Day 1 at #PAS19.  

Read on to see some of the early chatter here in Paris from the media and Twitter.