The vaunted HondaJet Elite appeared for the first time this week at the Singapore Airshow. Its unveiling was not only an important step forward in HondaJet’s expansion, but its appearance is one positive for an airshow marred by the outbreak of Covid-19 – aka Coronavirus.
Michimasa Fujino, President and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, said: “We are excited that Singapore Airshow attendees will have their first in-person opportunity to experience the HondaJet Elite’s captivating combination of technological innovations and upgraded performance capabilities paired with its functional, contemporary interior.”
Honda Aircraft Company also announced that it has received type certification from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. “We are pleased with our recent developments in the Asian market and with receiving type certification for Pakistan recently,” Fujino explained. “The HondaJet Elite’s debut in Asia’s largest aerospace event also indicates our determination to increase our presence in Asia.”
HondaJet announced on Monday (10th February) that the HondaJet Elite would appear at the Singapore Airshow being held from February 11th to 16th. The news was well received by airshow organisers who have had to cope with a number of exhibitors pulling out at what has essentially been the last moment due to fears surrounding the outbreak of Covid-19.
This year’s line-up of corporate jets at Changi is significantly thinner than in previous years — only Dassault’s Falcon 8X and Falcon 2000LXS and Honda’s HondaJet Elite are being exhibited. Gulfstream is absent from the show, it is currently promoting its G500, new G600, G650ER, Gulfstream G550, super-midsize Gulfstream G280 and the G700 that was debuted as a cabin mock-up last October at the NBAA convention in Las Vegas.
Also absent is Textron Aviation, it was expected to have exhibited the Citation Longitude, which only received its FAA type certificate to release it for customer deliveries in September 2019. Bombardier’s no-show takes with it the Global 7500, Global 6500 and 5500, Challenger 350 and 650. Embraer is present at the Changi exhibition centre but is not displaying its Praetor 500 light jet. While, in the prop section, Italian manufacturer, Piaggio, has also declined to exhibit its Avanti.
HondaJet Elite: At a Glance
Maximum range: 1,653 miles/2,661km/1,437nm
Maximum speed: 485mph/780kph/Mach 0.6
Typical passengers: 2-4
Typical crew: 1-2
List Price for new aircraft: $5.25 million
