Japan set to unveil its first passenger jet on Saturday

Tokyo

IT'S almost four years late in arrival. Now, with a helping hand from bullet-train specialists, Japan is finally ready to show its first passenger jet to the world.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp will unveil the regional jet at Nagoya on Saturday after three delays as customers such as ANA Holdings Inc and SkyWest Inc await delivery. Mitsubishi is building 78-seater and 92-seater planes and plans to conduct its first flight by the end of June. The larger model will come out first.

Japan and China are leading the Asian race to break the virtual duopoly of Embraer SA and Bombardier Inc in the small-passenger-jet market. With the Chinese aircraft also delayed, the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) will be a test of whether a new entrant can successfully break into the small group of leading plane manufacturers. Boeing Co and its European rival Airbus Group NV lock out the market for larger …