Canada’s Bombardier Sues Mitsubishi Aircraft for Info Misappropriation

October 22, 2018

New York- Canadian plane maker Bombardier Inc. has sued Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. and its U.S. partner for alleged misappropriation of information about passenger aircraft certification, it was learned Sunday.

In the lawsuit, Bombardier is seeking damages payment and an injunction against the use of the information by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. <7011> subsidiary, which is developing a small jet plane called Mitsubishi Regional Jet, and Seattle-based Aerospace Testing Engineering & Certification, or AeroTEC.

According to the complaint, filed with a federal district court in Seattle, Mitsubishi Aircraft and the partner in the MRJ development received information related to the certification of commercial aircrafts by the U.S. and Canadian aviation authorities from some of former Bombardier employees they recruited.

The former Bombardier personnel in question were involved in the Canadian maker's program to develop the C-Series small passenger jet.

The development of the MRJ, expected to be the first Japanese-made commercial jetliner, is running way behind schedule.

Due to the delay, the delivery of the first plane, initially set for 2013, has been postponed five times. In addition, Mitsubishi Aircraft faced the first order cancellation in January this year.

The Toyoyama, Aichi Prefecture-based firm said in Japan on Monday that Bombardier's allegations are unfounded and that it plans to prove its innocence after scrutinizing the complaint. Jiji Press