Manufacturer · Japan · Founded 1962
Mitsubishi and Japan’s Airliner Dream
Japan builds some of the best cars, trains and electronics in the world, and it makes big parts of Boeing’s jets. So why can’t you fly on a Japanese airliner? The answer is a story of one success in the 1960s, and one very expensive attempt to repeat it that ended in 2023.
The YS-11: a fresh start
After the Second World War, Japan was banned from building aircraft for several years. When the industry restarted, the government backed a consortium called NAMC, including Mitsubishi and Kawasaki, to build a passenger plane from scratch. The YS-11, a 60-seat turboprop with two Rolls-Royce Dart engines, first flew on 30 August 1962.
It was a solid, tough aircraft, and it flew with Japanese domestic airlines for decades, as well as with operators in the Americas, Asia and Europe. But it was expensive to build and sold slowly. After 182 aircraft, production ended, and the YS-11 left Japanese airline service in 2006. For around 50 years it would be Japan’s only home-grown airliner.
Mitsubishi also built a hit of its own in a smaller class. The MU-2, a fast twin-turboprop business plane that first flew in 1963, became Japan’s first business aircraft. 704 were built, in Japan and at a factory in San Angelo, Texas.
The arc
Japan’s airliner attempts
- 1962Proof
YS-11 first flight
Japan’s first post-war airliner flies on 30 August.
- 1963Proof
MU-2 first flight
Mitsubishi’s twin-turboprop business aircraft; 704 built.
- 2008The bet
MRJ launched
Mitsubishi launches a new regional jet, later renamed SpaceJet.
- 2015The bet
First flight
The MRJ flies on 11 November, years behind schedule.
- 2020Break
Programme frozen
Spending is cut drastically and most engineers are reassigned.
- 2023Break
Cancelled
Mitsubishi formally ends the SpaceJet in February.
The SpaceJet: a ¥1 trillion lesson
In 2008 Mitsubishi launched the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), later renamed SpaceJet: a modern, fuel-efficient jet of around 70 to 90 seats to rival Embraer. It first flew on 11 November 2015, already years late. Then the delays kept coming: six in total. Certifying a brand-new airliner to international standards turned out to be far harder than Mitsubishi had expected, and it had to bring in experienced foreign engineers to help.
There was a commercial trap too. In the United States, contracts between major airlines and pilot unions, called “scope clauses”, limit how big and heavy the jets flown by regional partners can be. The main SpaceJet model was too heavy to fit, which shut it out of the biggest regional-jet market in the world. In 2020 Mitsubishi cut spending drastically and reassigned most of its engineers in Nagoya. In February 2023, after development costs of around ¥1 trillion (roughly US$7.5 billion), it formally cancelled the programme.
The real numbers
In figures
182
YS-11s built
First flight 30 August 1962
704
MU-2s built
In Japan and Texas
6
SpaceJet delays
Before cancellation
~¥1tn
SpaceJet cost
About US$7.5 billion
Japan’s real role
Japan may not have its own airliner, but its factories are inside many of the planes you fly on. Japanese companies are long-standing partners on Boeing jets, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries builds the carbon-fibre wing box of the Boeing 787. The SpaceJet’s failure shows how hard it is to break into the airliner business, a lesson China’s COMAC is learning too.
Iconic aircraft
1962
NAMC YS-11
A 60-seat turboprop; 182 built, Japan’s only post-war airliner to reach service.
1963
Mitsubishi MU-2
A fast twin-turboprop business plane; 704 built in Japan and Texas.
2015
Mitsubishi SpaceJet (MRJ)
A regional jet that flew but was cancelled before entering service.
Sources & Further Reading
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the Mitsubishi SpaceJet cancelled?
It was delayed six times, cost around ¥1 trillion to develop, and struggled to win certification and support from global partners. A big commercial problem was the US “scope clause”, a pilot-union rule that limits the size of jets regional airlines can fly; the main SpaceJet model was too heavy to fit it. Mitsubishi formally ended the programme in February 2023.
Who built the YS-11?
The Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (NAMC), a consortium of Japanese companies including Mitsubishi and Kawasaki, set up with government backing. 182 were built.
Does Japan still build airliner parts?
Yes, a lot. Japanese companies are major partners on Boeing jets; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, for example, builds the composite wing box for the Boeing 787.
Is the YS-11 still flying?
It left Japanese airline service in 2006. A few remained in government and military use for some years afterwards, and several are preserved in museums.
What was special about the MU-2?
It was Japan’s first business aircraft, a small twin-turboprop with a high wing that was unusually fast for its class. 704 were built in Japan and in San Angelo, Texas.