Story ID: 
Honda names U.S. service providers
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Honda Aircraft has selected four U.S.
Word Count: 256
Honda Aircraft has selected four U.S. Piper distributors to sell and service the HondaJet, the Japanese manufacturer announced here at NBAA’06.

The four sales/service centers and their territories are: Fliteline Group (East and Southeast); Des Moines Flying Service (Midwest); Cutter Aviation Dallas (Southwest); and Intermountain Air (Northwest). Each company is taking on the name of its territory, as in HondaJet Southwest, HondaJet Northwest, and so forth. 

Each one will operate its own dealer network. While retail HondaJets will be sold by the dealer network, Honda will open a direct sales arm ºto handle fleet orders for charter and fractional operators. 

Honda also said it will add more centers so that owners are never more than 90 minutes away from a maintenance shop. 

Honda president Takeo Fukui was on hand to help celebrate the NBAA debut of the HondaJet on Tuesday. “Aviation has long been a dream for Honda,” he said. “Our vision was as a mobility company, and we always kept one eye on the sky. A passion for aviation propelled the HondaJet into the air, but a strong business case is what is taking it to the customer.”

For Michimaso Fujino, Honda Aircraft president, who has been working on Honda aeronautical efforts since 1986, the HondaJet is fulfilling his dream of bringing a new airplane to market. “Now I promise my best to deliver outstanding performance,” he said. “Today, HondaJet truly takes flight.”