HondaJet Echelon Program Now Delayed Big news concerning the new business jet coming from the Honda Aircraft Company. The Honda Echelon which will eventually become the flagship model of the airframer has officially been delayed by the company according to an official revision of the timeline. The company expected the first flight to happen in 2026 with certification in 2028 but after recently celebrating successfully completing the first wing structure for the jet it is clear that the first flight will not happen this year.
The revised timeline now suggests that the first flight will be in 2028 with certification and following deliveries in 2031. This is a significant delay but the Echelon's path has been set for a few years now. The former head of HondaJet at the time Michimasa Fujino introduced the concept to the world at the 2021 edition of NBAA-BACE but at that time it was just a concept -called the HondaJet 2600-. By mid-2023 HondaJet committed to the design and it was announced by the current CEO Hideto Yamasaki that they will certify the aircraft and thus the new name was born, the HondaJet Echelon.
Work is moving apace on the new aircraft with the first Echelon's first major component -the wings- starting build in early 2025. By early 2027 Honda Aircraft anticipates to be able to assemble the first example of the HondaJet Echelon. At present there are five wing components in various stages of of final assembly. They say approximately 70% of the parts needed for first assembly are available.
According to Honda Aircraft, “The updated timeline reflects Tier 1-supplier-related schedule adjustments and ongoing development activities, ensuring the aircraft meets the highest standards of quality and performance.” “We have made significant progress on the design side,” said Vinicius Souza, assistant program leader for the Echelon program. “So we are mostly on the industrialization side of the program at this point.” Honda Aircraft Company has over 530 Letters of Intent from potential customers so far for the HondaJet Echelon. For more information: Honda Aircraft Company Greensboro, NC United States of America www.hondajet.com ***
