Honda Aircraft Celebrates 20th Year Since Commercialization of HondaJet | Aviation International News

Honda Aircraft Celebrates 20 Years

Certification took place in 2015, and 275 HondaJets have now been delivered

Honda Aircraft associates celebrate 20th anniversary — Honda Aircraft associates celebrated the company’s 20th anniversary.

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

August 7, 2026

Twenty years ago, leaders at Honda Motor Co. stood up a new division, Honda Aircraft, turning the research and development (R&D) program that saw the prototype HondaJet achieve first flight in 2003 into a commercial business jet program. The clean-sheet HondaJet design by Michimasa Fujino, leader of the R&D program, was powered by the HF118 engine, which was designed and built by another team at Honda in Japan, marking a rare occurrence, especially in the business aviation world: one company developing an entirely new airplane and engine.

In 2005, Fujino brought the prototype HondaJet to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and attendees crowded eagerly around the airplane, marveling at the unique design with its over-the-wing-mounted engines. The commercialization decision followed in 2006, and at that year’s NBAA convention the newly formed Honda Aircraft began taking orders for the HA-420 very light jet.

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The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

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