With the award of FAA certification for the GE Honda Aero Engines HF120 on Friday, “We are finalizing the HondaJet type certification schedule with the FAA based on the engine type certification achievement and will be sharing an update [later] this week,” Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michimasa Fujino told AIN.

“FAA type certification of the HF120 engine is a significant achievement,” he said. “GE Honda Aero Engines [GHAE] has been a long-time partner in the HondaJet program, and we look forward to continuing our work with GHAE as we approach the final phase of flight-testing and prepare for HondaJet entry into service.”

The engine is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between GE and Honda. Honda built the first version, the HF118, that powered the proof-of-concept prototype HondaJet on its first flight 10 years ago.

Engineering expertise from both companies produced the more powerful 2,095-pound-thrust HF120, which has a 5,000-hour TBO and no requirement for a scheduled hot-section inspection in the interim. Production HF120s are being assembled at GE’s Lynn, Mass. facility, and next year production will move to the Honda Aero facility in Burlington, N.C.