Sounds like whoever owned that plane way overpayed because it's not nearly that much.

This is likely the reason.
Its 3100 nm further to go the southern route, + ferry tanks.
Great Circle Mapper

What would you need ferry tanks for when you can just get auxiliary tanks in a DC9 to take you up to nearly 39,000 lbs of gas

The aircraft has to be plumbed and set up for the aux tanks. They add about 12,000 lbs of fuel. It's not enough to go from the mainland to HNL with required reserves. The depressurization requirement alone kills it.

She's at SJC if anyone is passing through.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/a...a24mj/#ba6fb57

To answer the original question, I'm beginning to doubt it. What could possibly cause a 2 year delay?




TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has confirmed that the delivery of its Mitsubishi Regional Jet will be postponed yet again, this time to mid-2020. The delivery deadline was scheduled for mid-2018 for an order from ANA Holdings. The heavy machinery maker plans to announce the delay, its fifth, on Monday.

The MRJ, Japan's first homegrown commercial jetliner, has been under development by group member Mitsubishi Aircraft. A design modification that requires changing the location of some electronic equipment on the aircraft has forced the manufacturer to re-examine the delivery schedule.

In the fall of 2016, the Mitsubishi group informed parties involved that delivery would be postponed. Speculation put the new deadline for 2019 at the earliest.

The Mitsubishi group has spent billions of dollars on developing the commercial airliner, but the ever-growing time frame is becoming a financial burden. To further push the project, the group plans to set up a committee that will exclusively promote the project and report directly to Mitsubishi Heavy President Shunichi Miyanaga.

(Nikkei)

Lol this gave me a good laugh

Fapping aside it makes you wonder though. There's like 200 orders of this thing in the US, will Mitsubishi and the airlines allow it to just go away?

What else will they do?

I hope we get some of those Sukhoi RJs. I bet Trump can get us a smokin' deal...

The US orders are not firm. So really they don't exist.

Non-firm orders benefit the buyer because if they need a bunch of airplanes fast, they're at the head of the line. So if all the ERJs or CRJ's get grounded there's a plan C. If they get epic growth opportunity they have another source of airframes. If scope gets relaxed, they're ready to move in fast.

Non-firm orders benefit the seller because it puts some numbers up on the board, and it's better than no orders. Also selling to US airlines is the gold standard of acceptance for an airframer who wants to sell airplanes globally.

The MRJ had a decent chance back 10 years ago. They are way to late now.. if you want to see one fly. You will have to go to Asia. Or Moses Lake, WA....

Well Scott Kirby at United is now suggesting that the pilots should open scope to 88 seats. It's a 12 seat jump.

How will regionals​ staff it you might ask. Less planes... solves a few issues, now regionals​ don't have to find as many pilots. Just means there won't be as much frequency; one C Series lite or MRJ instead of two CRJ 200s.

Do I think they'll (UA pilots) bite and outsource flying? Probably not but the question is will the carrot management dangles be big enough.

What UA really needs is a 90-110 seater. Something in the same league as the 717 or C series. Having that flown by regionals would be Kirby's wet dream.

Do you have a link to any article in which Kirby is on record saying this? I want to read this with my own eyes.

He'll get his wish eventually.
I feel like some of these new guys are doomed to repeat the same mistakes of a certain older generation.

Agreed, hopefully UA pilots reject an increase in scope. Having planes that size flown by mainline pilots is better for all of us.

Keep in mind that if Skywest is allowed to fly the aircraft for UAL they would have to cease all flying for Delta. That would incur huge financial penalties since they have agreed to abide by the Delta scope as a term of their contract. For Skywest to fly those airframes it will require a change of both Delta and UAL scope. The probability of a Delta change in scope is less than nil!

Is that at the inc level or airline level?

If it is at the airline level you can always come up with a subsidiary ..,

We got burned with that concept in the past. We have protection now from subsidiaries also.

New guys not the threat. Don't want to get furloughed. Senior guys that will get a big raise and won't have to worry about a furlough are the threat. That is the biggest demographic of pilot right now also with about 10 years left. Not to worry. Most older dudes are not the type that want to pull up the ladder. No scope relaxation will take place unless that carrot is really freaking sweat. A carrot big enough would cost the company way more than giving mainline the cs100/300.

I hope you are right but if indeed the united pilot group throws yet another generation of pilots under the proverbial bus for a few pieces of silver I suspect that every time a united pilot comes sniffing around for a jumpseat on a "regional" jet they are going to find that it is on MEL.

Doubt that. Probably more like a letter of rec request. Request granted by this scope protecting hombre.;)

What a juvenile post.