{:en} A new wing workshop will be opened next July
The groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday for the new fender plant at Honda Aircraft's Greensboro plant. A new spare parts warehouse will also be built here. The facility is scheduled to open in July next year, and the investment amounted to $ 15.5 million (the area of the new facility is 7700 sq. M.). The total volume of investments in infrastructure facilities already exceeds $ 245 million, President and CEO of Honda Aircraft Mitimasa Fujino told BizavNews. “Our new production hall will enable the company to significantly increase production efficiency. As the popularity and presence of HondaJet continues to grow globally, we need new manufacturing facilities that can reduce the time it takes to assemble aircraft on the one hand and reduce the risk of working with subcontractors. ”
Honda Aircraft currently employs 1,500 people in North Carolina, and as the company ramps up the HondaJet assembly line from four to five planes a month, Fujino hopes to increase the number of employees.
The company's new investment has generated a positive reaction from local officials. For example, North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis noted that Honda Aircraft has invested millions of dollars and created thousands of jobs in Greensboro County, which is a significant positive factor for the locals who now form the backbone of the plant. “Honda Aircraft is a prime example of a company that is taking advantage of its North Carolina business with certain bonuses in the form of tax breaks.”
In 2019, Honda Aircraft Company plans to deliver up to 50 aircraft to customers. Fujino noted that the HondaJet is the first aircraft for 25% of customers. He also drew attention to the experience of Cutter Aviation, which completed the first installation of the “Performance Improvement Modification Group” (APMG) on a HondaJet HA-420 business jet. Honda Aircraft unveiled the APMG modification at NBAA 2018, offering a package that will allow the operators of the original HondaJet to improve the performance of their aircraft and use the latest technology. The APMG package includes a slight increase in horizontal stabilizer span, placement of vortex generators on both the tail and winglets, and the removal of aerodynamic ridges. Garmin G3000 avionics have also been updated to improve safety and situational awareness.
As a result of the APMG package, the takeoff distance was reduced by 443 feet to 3,491 feet, the luggage compartment capacity was doubled to 200 pounds, the maximum takeoff weight was increased by 100 pounds, to 10,700 pounds (45 kg, to 4860 kg), and the range was increased approximately 100 nautical miles, up to 1437 miles.
More than 130 business jets are currently in operation in the world. According to the company, the aircraft have a readiness rate of 99.7%.
In Russia and the CIS countries, sales of the HondaJet have been open since July 2016. AIM OF EMPEROR is a diversified group of companies that is a dealer of HondaJet aircraft (Authorized Sales Representative of HondaJet Central Europe in Russia and CIS), which sells the latest innovative Japanese business jet to the Russian and CIS markets. The AIM OF EMPEROR Group is also accepting applications for the updated version of the HondaJet Elite.
