Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is to end regional aircraft component production work for Bombardier and focus more on work for Boeing.
The Japanese manufacturer says it plans to stop producing components for the Q400 turboprop by December 2009 and for CRJ700/900 regional jets by March 2010.
"We are not stopping all activities for Bombardier," it says, but will continue to produce components for the Canadian manufacturer's business jets.
MHI produces the mid and aft fuselage, vertical fin, horizontal stabiliser, elevator, rudder and doors for the Q400 and the aft fuselage for the CRJ700/900. The Q400 work is being transferred to Bombardier's Mexico plant.
MHI also insists the move is unrelated to its plans for its own 70-to 90-seat "Mitsubishi Regional Jet", which it hopes to launch this spring. The company says it wants to focus more of its efforts on work for Boeing, in particular the US manufacturer's 787 programme, for which MHI makes the wing box.
Source: Flight International