Story ID: 367
Looking Back: Honda Aircraft
By: Samantha Cartaino
Caption: This timeline explores Honda Aircraft's milestones since last year's NBAA Convention.
Word Count: 553
November 2016

At the beginning of the month, Honda Aircraft announced it had expanded its sales reach for the HondaJet, appointing SYI Aviation in Panama City, Panama, as a dealer. SYI Aviation would give Honda Aircraft a presence in the Middle Americas, providing sales, service and support for the HondaJet in Central America, the Caribbean and portions of South America to include Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

Honda Aircraft announced plans to ramp up production of the HA-420 HondaJet to 80 units per year by mid-2019. By the end of Honda’s 2018 financial year, meaning March 2019, “We'd like to be near full production of around 80 units,” said company president and CEO Michimasa Fujino.

December 2016

Honda Aircraft’s new light jet, which features a unique over-the-wing engine mount configuration, made both its Middle East and MEBAA debut in Dubai at the show static display, as the company evaluates the market for the $4.85 million HA-420 HondaJet in the region.

The HondaJet entered Part 135 charter service with Phoenix-based Cutter Aviation near the end of December. Cutter, which also serves as the Southwest dealer for the new light jet, completed all the requirements to add the aircraft to its charter fleet and was slated to begin flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

April 2017

The HondaJet made its debut at the Sun 'n' Fun International Fly-In & Expo in April. The aircraft also flew alongside the Honda Generators-sponsored Race 90 T-6 in a unique formation.

The HondaJet made its Chinese debut at ABACE in April. The new light jet, developed by the U.S.-based Honda Aircraft subsidiary of Japan’s Honda Motor, is built in Greensboro, North Carolina. As of the end of March, the manufacturer had delivered 37 of the light jets

May 2017

Honda Aircraft shared a series of updates and announcements at EBACE including the appointment of Hangar Uno as HondaJet Argentina and Thai Aerospace Services (TAS) as HondaJet Southeast Asia, respectively. Meanwhile FlyHonda, a new fractional ownership company, placed multiple aircraft orders. HondaJet also announced it ended the first quarter of 2017 with 15 aircraft deliveries.

July 2017

A HondaJet departed on a world tour from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in July. Pilot and founder of Innisfree Hotels Julian MacQueen took off from the air show at the end of the week and headed toward Pensacola, Florida, to pick up his wife, Kim. Including a kickoff ceremony at Honda’s Greensboro factory, the MacQueens and Travis Holland of Holland Aero would stop at approximately 80 locations around the world planning to end the tour in October here at the NBAA Convention in Las Vegas.

August 2017

At LABACE in August, Honda Aircraft received the type certificate for the HA-420 HondaJet from Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency ANAC. Brazilian certification of the jet with over-the-wing-mounted GE Honda HF120 engines follows similar approvals from the FAA, EASA, Transport Canada and Mexico’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation.