Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation here on Monday announced a memorandum of understanding for 20 firm MRJ90 regional jets, with purchase rights for an additional 20 of the type, with Eastern Air Lines Group. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2019 and Boeing will support the aircraft.

Eastern Air Lines president and CEO Edward Wegel said the aircraft would be used on routes from the airline’s main base in Miami, Florida, to Latin America and the Caribbean. They will be operated in an 82-seat, two-class configuration, he added.

Three aspects of the MRJ convinced his company to choose it against its competitors, Wegel explained. These were Mitsubishi quality, the reduced fuel burn brought by the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan and the customer appeal of the cabin. Eastern Air Lines, a start-up operator that uses the branding of the historic, but defunct carrier, hopes to start operations in the first quarter of next year with Boeing 737-800s.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi (Chalet D12-13, Outdoor Exhibit 7) has selected Grant County International Airport at Moses Lake, Washington, as its second flight test center for the MRJ70/90, other testing being planned in Japan. Mitsubishi Aircraft has thus signed a letter of intent with flight-testing specialist Aerospace Testing Engineering & Certification (aka AeroTEC). The flight tests are slated to begin at Moses Lake in the fall of 2015.