Mitsubishi Heavy gives up 1st Japan-made passenger jet project

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Tuesday it will terminate its plan to develop Japan’s first domestically manufactured passenger jet, pulling the plug on a public-private project that was repeatedly hampered by delays before being frozen more than two years ago.

The enterprise, which officially started in 2008 and cost about 1 trillion yen ($7.6 billion), was suspended in October 2020 after frequent technological problems as well as a sharp fall in air travel demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mitsubishi Heavy initially expected to roll out its first plane by 2013, but a lack of k...