SkyWest Airlines could be flying the new Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) by 2017.
The Utah-based regional carrier (not to be confused with Australia’s Skywest with a lowercase “w”) signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation for the purchase 100 of the new jets on Wednesday at the Farnborough Airshow.
Japan’s first ever jetliner, the Mitsubishi Regional Jet family of aircraft is under development as a twin-engine, 78-92-seat aircraft with a range of between about 900 and 1700 nm. Available variants are the MRJ 70STD, 70ER, 70LR, 90STD, 90ER and 90LR.
SkyWest, which operates regional flights on behalf of Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, becomes the second US carrier to commit to the new aircraft, following Trans States Airlines.
