Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mesa Airlines, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mesa Air Group, Inc., to begin formal negotiations for the purchase of 100 Mitsubishi SpaceJet M100 aircraft. The MoU was announced at a signing event at the Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation America booth at the Regional Airline Association (RAA) annual conference held this year in Nashville, TN, and targets 50 firm orders and purchase rights for an additional 50.

“As we developed the Mitsubishi SpaceJet family, we knew we had changed the way that passengers and airlines will think about regional travel,” said Hisakazu Mizutani, President Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation.

Introduced at this year’s Paris Air Show, the Mitsubishi SpaceJet M100 is one of the few clean sheet design that will operate under current scope clause restrictions.

Mesa anticipates utilizing the SpaceJet M100s fleet in their capacity purchase agreements with major U.S. airlines. Under the terms of the MoU, deliveries would begin in 2024.