
On March 26, 2024, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported about efforts to display one of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (later rebranded to Mitsubishi SpaceJet) prototypes in the Aichi Museum of Flight near Nagoya Komaki Airport.
According to the report, the aircraft expected to be displayed in the museum is prototype number 10, a SpaceJet M90 (formerly MRJ90) registered JA26MJ. While still not confirmed, the report suggests the aircraft could be put on display at some point during FY2025 (April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026).
The development of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, rebranded to the SpaceJet in 2019, was first announced in 2007. At the time, certification was targeted for 2012. The timeline for the entry into service of Japan’s first airliner since the 1960s turboprop NAMC YS-11 was delayed multiple times until the development was paused in October 2020 as the pandemic hit the world.
With the program having been canceled completely in February 2023, some considered the idea of displaying the aircraft in a museum to be akin to displaying failure. Others, however, emphasize the aircraft being an important part of Japan’s aviation industry’s history.
Previously, there was MRJ Musem, which combined exhibits about the aircraft with a tour of the actual manufacturing facility, next to the Aichi Museum of Flight. The museum, which first opened its doors to the public on November 30, 2017, never reopened after temporarily closing due to the pandemic. It was officially shut down on June 30, 2023.