Mitsubishi Aircraft Opens Engineering Center in Seattle

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation has opened an engineering center in Seattle, Washington.

The opening of the Seattle Engineering Center (SEC) enables Mitsubishi Aircraft to tap professional expertise on aircraft development and to accelerate the development of its MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet).

SEC will work with AeroTEC to accelerate the MRJ’s conformity activities and provide prompt support for flight tests in the U.S. that are scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2016 based at the Grant County International Airport at Moses Lake in Washington.

The SEC will be operated by approximately 150 people, including about 100 engineers recruited mainly in Seattle and about 50 engineers from Japan.

“Washington is honored to play a supporting role in the development of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet," said Jay Inslee, Washington State Governor. "With more than 100 years of history designing and building the greatest commercial airplanes in the world, Washington is the global leader in aerospace. We are thankful to the Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation for its investment in our state and are proud of the assistance we can provide in bringing this important aircraft to the worldwide market."

“From the components that are being provided by our suppliers to the team that will be in the air and on the ground in Moses Lake once flight testing begins to the scores of engineers working in this new Seattle office, the MRJ will have a profound impact on the economy of Washington State,” Inslee added. “We look forward to continuing our support for the MRJ and seeing how our relationship with Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation can grow even further.”