Mitsubishi Aircraft is close to deciding whether to allocate work on its MRJ regional jet to fellow Japanese manufacturers Fuji and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, but is warning that the decision will be strictly commercial, not based on any sense of patriotic duty. President Nobuo Toda expects to book more orders for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet before the end of this year. The company, majority owned by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has been set up to build the 70-90-seat jetliner.

Fuji Heavy Industries is adopting production techniques from its Subaru car division to cut costs and help win a share of future narrowbody programs from both Airbus and Boeing. “We can see that a very big wave is coming, and we would like to ride it,” says Yasuhiro Hamanaka, general manager of Fuji’s aerospace division, noting that entry into service is probably a decade away.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is keen to take on final assembly of whatever aircraft Boeing builds to replace the 737, say industry executives in Japan. One executive believes it is technically feasible for Mitsubishi and its compatriots Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries, which together make 35% of the 787, to build all of the major sections of the 737 replacement. One of them could be responsible for final assembly. The same executive doubts that Boeing would be willing to hand over so much work, however.