Japan’s first passenger jet has made its maiden test flight, a landmark in a decade-long programme to launch the plane aimed at competing with Brazilian and Canadian rivals in the global market for smaller aircraft. About half a century after the last Japanese-made commercial plane took to the skies, the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), painted with dark blue, red and beige stripes, took off from Nagoya airport under clear skies for a 90-minute trip.

After being barred from developing aircraft following World War II, Japan — and its MRJ jet — is competing with other regional passenger jet manufacturers such as Brazil’s Embraer and Canada’s Bombardier. The two-engine MRJ marks a new chapter for Japan’s aviation sector, which last built a commercial airliner in 1962 — the YS-11 turboprop that was discontinued about a decade later.

The MRJ is approximately 35-metres (115-feet) long, has a pointed nose and will seat about 80 passengers. Mitsubishi Aircraft boasts that the fuel-efficient MRJ will offer more passenger comfort with lower operating costs, eyeing the booming regional jet sector. China is also developing a similar-sized homegrown regional passenger jet, the ARJ21. It had its first test flight in 2008 and the initial commercial delivery is reportedly expected by the end of the year.

Mitsubishi Heavy unveiled the jet in October last year and has received more than 400 orders. It plans to make the first delivery to Japan’s All Nippon Airways in 2017. Mitsubishi’s short-to-medium-haul regional jet was backed by the Japanese government and a consortium of major firms including Toyota. Automaker Honda is also developing a small private jet in the United States, which was first unveiled in Japan earlier this year. This comes as no surprise as private jets are quick on the increase, with more demands for them all over the world. More people visit sites like Jettly to find quotes for these whether it be for private affairs like celebrations and parties, or for business travel as well.