Mitsubishi launches it's first passenger jet

It's a period of firsts in aviation as the first Japanese-made passenger jet embarked on its debut flight today Wednesday, 11th November.

The Mitsubishi made jet took off from Nagoya Airport in central Japan, flying for 90-minutes.

Mitsubishi claims the jet, which comes in 78 and 92 seat versions, uses 20% less fuel than other aircraft in its class thanks to aerodynamic design.

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) is Japan's first domestically produced passenger jet.

Mitsubishi is set to conduct more test flights, but the first delivery of the jet is not scheduled until mid-2017.

The MRJ is expected to put Mitsubishi in competition with Brazilian plane maker Embraer SA and Canada's Bombardier, which dominate the market for passenger jets with fewer than 100 seats.

Earlier in the month, China unveiled it's first ever locally made passenger jet.