Honda Aircraft is displaying its light jet, the HA-420 HondaJet, at the Singapore Airshow and expanding the number of countries in which the airplane is certified. Next up is type certification validation for the China market, with Chinese CAAC approval expected in early 2019.

Last October, Honda Aircraft (Chalet CD63-65) announced that it selected Honsan General Aviation of Guangzhou as a HondaJet dealer in China. The company will not only sell the HondaJet but also provide maintenance services for customers based in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Honsan General Aviation is located at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

“The HondaJet has been received with tremendous interest in and around China,” said Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michimasa Fujino, “and we have appointed Honsan General Aviation HondaJet as a dealer in the region. With its strong focus on quality and customer service, Honsan General Aviation will be a very valuable addition to our dealer network and will be very successful in this emerging market.”

“Like Honda Aircraft, we are always looking to provide our customers with innovative ways to increase productivity and access,” said Cheng Qian, CEO of Honsan General Aviation. “Partnering as a dealer with Honda Aircraft provides us with a strategic way to expand our business portfolio and help in the general aviation and economic growth of China.”

The HA-420 offers seating for up to seven occupants and is certified to be flown by a single pilot. With a top speed of 422 ktas, after takeoff the HondaJet can climb at 3,990 fpm, and it has a maximum altitude of 43,000 feet. The unique over-the-wing-engine-mount configuration, which has been used only once before on a commercial airplane, the Fokker VFF 614, allowed Honda Aircraft to maximize cabin and baggage space and include an enclosed lavatory with a flushing toilet. Externally accessible baggage space totals 66 sq ft (nose and rear compartments). Other advantages of the engine-mounting configuration include lower noise levels inside the cabin and greater efficiency due to a delay in drag rise at high speeds.

Power is provided by GE Honda HF120 engines, each delivering 2,050 pounds of thrust. With four occupants, the HondaJet can fly 1,223 nautical miles (NBAA IFR range).

Through the third quarter of 2017, Honda Aircraft had delivered 30 HondaJets.