1997

The Concept is Born

It was during one night in 1997 that Michimasa Fujino, the future leader of the HondaJet project, came up with the “Over-The-Wing Engine Mount” configuration, a totally new concept in business aviation. Not finding any paper nearby, Fujino quickly tore a page off a calendar on the wall and drew the first HondaJet concept sketch on the back. The sketch received internal approval, formally launching the HondaJet research project.

2003

First Flight

In late 2003, an experimental HondaJet equipped with Honda HF118 engines successfully completed its initial flight test at the Piedmont-Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. Subsequent tests confirm the performance and operational safety of the aircraft.

2005

First Public Debut

The experimental HondaJet made its public world debut at the 2005 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the world's largest annual aviation gathering. The HondaJet received overwhelming support from the huge crowd of aviation enthusiasts, moving it one step closer to commercialization.

2006

A New Aviation Company

In 2006, one year after the HondaJet’s public debut, Honda announced its plans to commercialize the HondaJet. It established a new wholly-owned subsidiary responsible for the development, sales and production of the HondaJet named Honda Aircraft Company, based at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, NC. Soon after, Honda Aircraft Company began taking orders for the HondaJet at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention.

2010

Certification Testing Begins

In 2010, Honda Aircraft Company began preparations to receive government certification of its aircraft and production facilities. The first conforming HondaJet built to Federal Aviation Administration standards took flight, equipped with the new HF120 engine. It was joined by the second test aircraft the following year.

2015

Type Certification

In December 2015, the HondaJet received FAA type certification, signifying that it had met the FAA’s strict criteria for safety, reliability, and technology. As part of the type certification process, Honda Aircraft conducted over 3000 hours of flight testing and submitted more than two million pages of documentation. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta presented the FAA type certificate to Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino in front of more than 2,000 people, government representatives, community leaders, HondaJet dealers, suppliers, and Honda Aircraft associates.

2018

HondaJet Elite

Honda Aircraft revealed an upgraded version of the HondaJet, the HondaJet Elite, at the 2018 European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland. The HondaJet Elite increases the HondaJet’s range by 400 km and is equipped with a newly developed noise attenuating inlet structure that lines each engine to make for a quieter cabin. The new aircraft also incorporates an advanced avionics system with optimum flight planning and automatic stability and protection functions to enhance safety of flight. The HondaJet Elite also received type certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) of the Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) in 2018, and Honda Aircraft delivered the first HondaJet Elite in Japan.

2021

Innovation Continues

Honda Aircraft Company unveiled the "HondaJet 2600 Concept” at a special event at the 2021 NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). Through the further refinement of foundational HondaJet technologies, the HondaJet 2600 Concept will be the world’s first light jet capable of nonstop transcontinental flight across the United States.