Honda Aircraft Delivers First HondaJet to Europe

Honda Aircraft Delivers First HondaJet

Honda Aircraft delivers first HondaJet HA-420 to its German Rheinland Air Service (RAS)  European Honda's distributor.

The delivery comes just ahead of the validation of the European Aviation Safety Agency for the business jet of light, Honda expects to receive this quarter.

Speaking at a press conference on the occasion of the delivery of the aircraft $ 4.5 million - which gained US approval late last year - the president and CEO Michimasa Fujino said: "Europe is a very strong market for HondaJet , representing 20% of the 100- plus orders we have so far. "

Fujino, a rookie Aero says the plane RAS German registration D to be transferred after the validation of the EASA. two other European distributors of Honda, TAG Aviation of Switzerland and the United Kingdom Marshall Aerospace, are scheduled for each delivery of a HondaJet before the end of May.

"They will be used to promote the aircraft through their respective sales regions of southern Europe and north," said Fujino. "We expect to begin shipping to European customers in 2017, but could be earlier if there is a cancellation."

Honda's production line in Greensboro, NC, is currently building two to three aircraft per month, Fujino said, with a maximum of 40 units planned for 2016. "We have the capacity to manufacture up to 80 aircraft per year, but -rampa gradually to reach this number, "he said.

The first FAA-conforming HondaJet has achieved a maximum speed of 425 KTAS at 30,000 ft., surpassing Honda's performance guarantee of 420 KTAS for the production aircraft.