in 2015. Honda began to study small-sized
business jets in the late 1980s, using engines from other manufacturers. The Honda MH01
turboprop used an all-composite construction, Flight testing on the MH02 continued through 1996, after which the aircraft was shipped to Japan. Lead designer and company founder
Michimasa Fujino began sketching the HondaJet in 1997, and the concept was solidified in 1999. According to Fujino, design of the HondaJet nose was inspired by
Salvatore Ferragamo shoes. Testing in the
Boeing windtunnel indicated a valid concept in 1999. On December 3, 2003, a proof-of-concept HondaJet conducted its first successful test flight at the Greensboro facility. At this point, Honda executives remained unsure about whether or not to commercialize the HondaJet program. To better understand the commercial potential of the HondaJet, Fujino publicly displayed it for the first time on July 28, 2005, at the annual
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow. The debut attracted strong interest, and convinced Honda executives to commercialize the HondaJet, which Honda publicly announced at the following year's AirVenture. In 2006, Honda announced the commercialization of the jet with a first delivery then planned for 2010. At the time, pricing was set at $3.65 million. The first
FAA-conforming (built to Federal Aviation Administration rules) HondaJet achieved its first flight on December 20, 2010. The first flight of the first production HondaJet occurred on June 27, 2014, and it was displayed at that year's AirVenture on July 28. Four HondaJets had test-flown 2,500 hours . The HondaJet was awarded a
provisional type certificate by the
FAA in March 2015. This enabled continued production The aircraft received its FAA
type certificate in December 2015, and received its
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certificate in May 2016. The HondaJet was also certified in
Japan in December 2018. Estimates for
Honda's investment into the Hondajet program range from one
Production The production aircraft are built at
Piedmont Triad International Airport. Construction of the factory began in 2007 and was completed in late 2011. In early 2015, there were 12 aircraft in final assembly and five more in earlier stages of production. Honda delivered the first customer aircraft on December 23, 2015, at its world headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. The first delivery of a HondaJet to a European aircraft dealer took place in April 2016. About 20% of the first 100 aircraft ordered were destined for European customers, according to coverage in April 2016. Honda planned to ramp up production to 80 units per year after March 2019. Sixteen aircraft were delivered in the first three quarters of 2016, reaching a 36-per-year production rate. In 2017, 15 were produced in the first quarter, and the annual target is between 55 and 60 aircraft. After deliveries began in late 2015, the HondaJet soon became one of the top-selling aircraft in its class. In July 2019, Honda Aircraft began construction of a new $15.5 million, wing assembly center on its campus. The new facility, which is meant to enhance production efficiency by allowing wings to be assembled concurrently, was opened in September 2020.
HondaJet Elite In May 2018, the $5.2 million (as of 2018) HondaJet Elite was revealed, Honda began deliveries on August 7, 2018. Elite's
elevator authority is increased to reduce its takeoff roll by , reducing the
Cessna Citation M2's take-off advantage. At a weight of and
ISA+3 °C, the HondaJet Elite cruises at Mach 0.676 or
TAS, while burning per hour, better than book predictions. In October 2019, Honda Aircraft Company presented the first
medevac-configured HondaJet Elite for air ambulance use. In the same month, a HondaJet Elite flew to the 2019 National Business Aviation Association meeting using sustainable aviation fuel. In May 2021, the MTOW of the Elite S was raised by 91 kg (200 lb). In 2022, its equipped price was $5.75M.
HondaJet APMG To retrofit some of the upgrades of HondaJet Elite to pre-Elite HondaJets, an APMG (Advanced Performance Modification Group) upgrade is available for $250,000. This includes 100 to 120 nmi range increase, and a
MTOW increase and take-off run reduction by to ; this is achieved by an extending the span of the horizontal tailplane by a few inches, and by removing wing fences and vortex generators. Avionics upgrades include takeoff and landing (TOLD) calculations, Flight Stream 510 wireless gateway compatibility, an enhanced electronic checklist, angle-of-attack indicator on the PFD, and visual approaches.
HA-480 Echelon On October 12, 2021, Honda unveiled the HondaJet 2600 Concept, at the 2021
NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition as a mockup was displayed; with a cabin for up to 11 seats, it offers a range of , a cruising speed of and a ceiling of . The $10–12 million jet would be the longest-range single-pilot business aircraft, it would keep the HondaJet configuration, stretched from , and has a wingspan, larger, for a maximum takeoff weight of and a takeoff distance, while its fuselage cross-section is more ovoid with a taller height. With a double club seating, the HondaJet 2600 concept was intended for testing the market to assess demand before deciding to launch the program. In June 2023, the company announced that it will proceed to production of the HondaJet 2600. The HA-480 Echelon is to be certified as a variant to share a common type rating with similar
Garmin G3000 cockpits.
HondaJet Elite II in 2023 Announced on October 17, 2022, the $6.95 million new model has improved aerodynamics, increased fuel capacity and gross weight by , giving a range of and a cruise of . It has a Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck,
autothrottles from the first half of 2023 and a Garmin
emergency autoland system later on in 2023. It features a new paint scheme and redesigned interior. FAA certification was received on November 2, 2022. == Design ==