Technological Innovation
Since its public debut in 2005, the HondaJet has attracted industry attention with its unconventional design, built around its patented Over-the-Wing-Engine Mount (OTWEM). While broader trends in aircraft development have homogenized engine configurations across the industry, with most jets nowadays installing the engines under the wings or on the aft fuselage, Honda saw room for new innovation, and fliers on its HondaJet enjoy the benefits. The OTWEM represents just one of an array of specialized aerodynamic features on the aircraft which come together to boost the its overall performance. Twin GE Honda HF 120 engines combine to give the aircraft over 4,000 total pounds of thrust at sea level. As a result, the HondaJet is the fastest, furthest, and highest-flying jet in its class. Most recently, the HondaJet was recognized as the “Coolest Thing Made in North Carolina” in a contest held by the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.
Growing Operations
Honda Aircraft Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., has a history at the Piedmont Triad International Airport that stretches back as far as its founding in 2006. Honda’s global brand slogan, “The Power of Dreams – How We Move You,” is realized in this facility to an extent unparalleled by any other. Honda’s aircraft development project is itself the product of the dream of Honda founder, Mr. Soichiro Honda, who envisioned a future in which Honda mobility solutions carried passengers on the land, sea, and air. Every iteration of the HondaJet since it first went to mass production has been built here in Greensboro, and Honda has continued to develop the platform. Its most recent model, the HondaJet Elite II, was certified by the FAA in 2022, and preparations are underway to introduce production lines for the company’s next jet, the larger HondaJet Echelon.
The HondaJet Echelon is an aircraft design which will create a new category of jet unto itself. Slated for first flight in 2026, the HondaJet Echelon will be the first light jet capable of transcontinental flight across America. Honda Aircraft Company is currently expanding the footprint of its manufacturing operations in the area as it prepares to hire an additional 300 associates over the next several years, who will play a key role in making this innovative new plane a reality.
Honda Aircraft Company invites the local community here in Greensboro to join us as we endeavor to extend the horizons of what is possible in civil aviation.
