China certificates HondaJet Elite, deliveries to begin in 2019
The certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China
clears the path for Honda Aircraft to begin delivering Elites in a country it has described as ripe with opportunity.
“Since we expanded to China, we have received several orders and have prioritised sales throughout China,”
Honda Aircraft chief executive Michimasa Fujino says in a 5 August media release.
The company expects to begin delivering Elites to Chinese customers before the end of 2019, it says.
In 2017 Honda Aircraft expanded its presence in China through a partnership with Guangzhou-based Honsan General Aviation,
which provides HondaJet sales, service and support in the country, including in Hong Kong and Macau.
North Carolina-based Honda Aircraft
also increased the authority of the Elite’s elevator, reducing its takeoff roll by 123m (400ft).
Additionally, the Elite has a new “noise-attenuating inlet structure” that “greatly reduces high-frequency noise”, the company says.
Civil regulatory authorities in Brazil, Canada, Europe, India, Japan, Mexico and the USA have already certified the Elite. HondaJet delivered its first Elite in 2018.