Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd is on track to deliver its repeatedly delayed commercial jet by mid-2020, the head of its aircraft unit said, despite a risk of an order cancellation. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) aircraft has been delayed five times from an original delivery target of 2013, leading to spiralling costs. News this month that an order for the aircraft from Eastern Air Lines was "likely to be lost" has spurred more questions about the outlook of the project.

"We are proceeding pretty much in line with plans," said Hisakazu Mizutani, president of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp, referring to the mid-2020 deadline. "We can just about make it." He was speaking to reporters in Nagoya on December 8, on the condition that his comments not be published until January 1. Mizutani said the planemaker was at risk of losing Eastern Air Lines' order for 20 MRJ aircraft with an option for 20 more, but that it was "continuing conversations" with the airline.

Copyright Reuters, 2018