When Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. froze its project to develop the Mitsubishi SpaceJet, Japan's first domestically manufactured passenger jet, in the fall of 2020, it looked like Japan's ambition to rank with the United States and Europe in aircraft manufacturing was over. Launched in 2008, the project to develop the small-size plane for 70-90 passengers was hit by repeated delays caused by a lack of production know-how and supply chain issues. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt it a final blow by wiping out demand for commercial airplanes across the globe. The company slashed the budget and the ...
