(Reuters) - Japan's Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp is seeking to postpone deliveries of its SpaceJet regional airplane as it battles delays in securing regulatory certification, with one option being a six-month delay from a mid-2020 target date, the Nikkei newspaper said.
Such a delay would be the sixth for the programme, which aimed to revive Japan's dormant commercial aviation industry.
A new first delivery target date could be set next month, the paper said on Saturday, without citing a source. The plane, this year renamed the SpaceJet instead of the Mitsubishi regional jet, was originally due to enter service in 2013.
Jefferies analyst Sho Fukuhara said in a note to clients that the delays, if confirmed, could trigger market concerns about Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (T:7011), the planemaker's largest shareholder.
Mitsubishi Heavy told the stock exchange on Monday that the planemaker was putting its "utmost effort" into completing certification and was sharing information about the schedule with all relevant parties. It did not provide an update on its delivery schedule.
ANA Holdings Inc (T:9202), Japan's largest airline by revenue, is due to be the first customer for the plane.
Nikkei said the manufacturer would probably begin to hash out compensation for the delay, which would push the entry into service beyond the Tokyo Summer Olympics next year.
ANA did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Tuesday, a public holiday in Japan.