Nov 17, 2009

Honda Aircraft Company Launches "Operation Deep Appreciation" in Support of U.S. Service Members Overseas

Greensboro, North Carolina, November 17, 2009 – Honda Aircraft Company today launched “Operation Deep Appreciation” in support of U.S. service members stationed overseas. Honda and its associates are sending care packages to show their support and appreciation for U.S. service members on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. One package is being sent for approximately each Honda associate at the company’s Greensboro, North Carolina, campus.

The care packages are destined for North Carolina-based members of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps deployed from Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune, respectively. Honda is providing the package contents, and Honda associates are individually packing the boxes and adding a personal note of thanks to each service member.

"With the establishment of Honda Aircraft Company in the Triad, we have endeavored to positively affect the community," said Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company President & CEO. "Our associates' initiative to undertake this important program reflects their strong sense of pride in the community."

"We want U.S. service members to know that we are thinking of them this holiday season," said Stephen Keeney, Honda Aircraft Company Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs. "This program is a wonderful opportunity for Honda associates to demonstrate their thanks to the men and women overseas who serve our Country. Five hundred packages are being prepared and contain personal care items, socks, shower shoes, a selection of snacks and candies, batteries, holiday decorations, and other items. This care package is a small symbol of our appreciation for the sacrifice these individuals make on a daily basis to insure our security and freedom."

Honda Aircraft Company's associate ranks include retired U.S. service personnel who are actively participating in "Operation Deep Appreciation." "As a Marine, I am personally aware of the positive impact these symbols of support have on our troops. Receiving an unexpected package from home boosts the spirits of our troops and lets them know that America is thinking of them as they put themselves in harm's way," said Jon Wells, Honda Aircraft Company Manager of Logistics and Major, USMC, retired.

The packages are expected to arrive during the Thanksgiving holiday.

About Honda Aircraft Company

Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Ltd. Honda has invested more than $100 million to establish its aircraft world headquarters facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the research, production, and sale of its HondaJet advanced light business jet. Honda began taking orders for the innovative HondaJet in October 2006 in the U.S. and has amassed orders for well over 100 aircraft. The $3.9 million HondaJet is Honda's first-ever commercial aircraft and lives up to the company's reputation for dynamic performance together with superior efficiency.

The HondaJet incorporates many innovative technological advances in aviation design, including a unique over-the-wing engine-mount configuration that dramatically improves aircraft performance and fuel efficiency by significantly reducing aerodynamic drag in flight. This innovative approach to airframe design also lowers ground-detected noise when overhead and allows for a more spacious cabin and greater cargo capacity. The HondaJet achieves a top speed of 420 knots (483 mph), which is the fastest in its class, and offers the largest cabin and the best fuel efficiency in its class.

The HondaJet is powered by two highly fuel-efficient GE Honda HF120 turbofan jet engines. First deliveries of the HondaJet are scheduled for late 2011.

Learn more about HondaJet at www.hondajet.com.

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