Honda Aircraft handed over a HondaJet Elite to the first customer in Japan, marking the entry into service of the light jet in Honda’s home country, the company announced today. Delivery comes two weeks after the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) validated the model.

Kotaro Chiba, founder of Japan's Drone Fund, accepted the first Japan-bound HondaJet Elite during a ceremony at Haneda Airport (Tokyo International Airport) attended by JCAB director general Kuniharu Ebina, Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michimasa Fujino, and HondaJet Japan chief executive Gentaro Toya.          

Honda Aircraft opened the order book for the model in June for the first time through its dealer HondaJet Japan. Since then the company has taken orders for more than 10 from the region, it said.

"It has been our dream to see the HondaJet flying in the skies above Honda's home country of Japan, and we are proud to mark this major milestone for Honda's aviation business,” Fujino said. “We aspire to popularize business aviation in the region, ultimately creating a society where business jets are widely accepted and used for personal and professional use." 

“I have strong confidence that today, December 20, will be Day 1 of the 'revolution in aerial mobility' in Japan,” Chiba added.