New Eastern Owner Wants To Focus On A Boeing Fleet

After acquiring the newly-reformed Eastern airlines brand, Swift Air is expected to cancel an order for as many as 40 of Japanese-built MRJ90 single-aisle jets, according to an insider at Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation.

The Japanese newswire reports that Eastern airlines had ordered the 20 of the regional jets with options for another 20 back in 2014. But earlier this year, Eastern was acquired by Swift Air, which plans to expand the carrier's Boeing 373 fleet rather than take delivery of the Japanese regional jets.

Delays in the rollout of the MRJ90 are cited as being among the primary reasons that Mitsubishi is having difficulty convincing Swift Air to maintain its order. The Japanese Newswire reports carriers are currently more concerned with roll-out costs than fuel economy in this era of lower oil prices.

The Swift Air order represents a full 10 percent of Mitsubishi's backlog for the MRJ90, so its cancellation would likely be a major hardship for the company. Of the 447 total orders for the regional jet, only 243 are firm. The largest order is currently held by SkyWest Airlines of Salt Lake City, UT which has 100 firm orders and 100 options.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report