The promise? To take the light jet category up a notch, and attempt to translate a “midsize jet experience” to a smaller platform—one capable of transcontinental U.S. trips. In doing so, Honda Aircraft anticipates an increase in mission flexibility for owner-pilots while keeping operating costs—and fuel burn—in check. The proposed design may attain up to 20 percent increased fuel efficiency over other light jets and up to 40 percent over midsize jets with which it expects to compete.

In the cabin, the midsize feel would continue, with “a holistic focus on the cabin experience encompassing space, comfort, and productivity,” according to the company. 

“The HondaJet Echelon was born to create a new category that transcends the travel experience on conventional light jets,” said Hideto Yamasaki, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, in a preview statement. “Expanding mobility skyward has been Honda’s long-lasting dream, and the HondaJet Echelon marks the exciting next chapter while showcasing a classic Honda story of a product that creates new value for people.” 

Common Type Pursuit

One key element to the new model, designated the HA-480 within the HondaJet family, is Honda Aircraft’s pursuit of a common type rating to the Elite II’s basis, the HA-420. The bid will be made possible by the use of the Garmin G3000 flight deck architecture, along with flight control response and feel, and single-pilot operation in parallel. On the production line, which will run alongside that of the Elite II, Honda Aircraft is targeting as much parts commonality as possible given the change in fuselage and cross section.

Yes, the Echelon will be a bigger jet, however, with an estimated wingspan of 56 feet, length of 57 feet, and tail height of 16 feet, plus a maximum takeoff weight of 17,500 pounds.

Amod Kelkar, chief commercial officer for Honda Aircraft, has been named the program manager on the HondaJet Echelon, a project he has been deeply involved with since joining the company as vice president of customer support in 2021. In an interview with FLYING, Kelkar indicated that the Echelon makes a play for changing the blend of customers for the HondaJet series. “We have, effectively, three types of customers,” said Kelkar.

“The first one is the owner-operator who are also pilots, so they have their own aircraft, they fly their own aircraft, using it for personal [trips] or for business. Their utilization is in the zone of 150 hours per year. Then we have…corporate customers, not necessarily corporations. Those have a bit higher utilization, I would say, around 250 to 400 hours a year per aircraft, and they fly strictly for B2B type of visits. And then the third segment is in terms of utilization is the highest, but in terms of numbers is the smallest, is the charter and fractional ownership,” which files roughly 1,400 to 1,500 hours per year.

While 85 percent of current customers are in the first two segments, the Echelon is deemed likely to appeal to the Part 135 and Part 91K operators that can leverage its range to suit New York to Florida or Caribbean destinations with seats full.

HondaJet Echelon Milestones

While the name marks an important step in the process to bringing a new aircraft into the product line, other key milestones have recently been achieved by the OEM.

First, the company installed the first structural test rig in the fourth quarter of 2021, not long after the program was officially announced. Since then, the manufacturer has exited the concept phase and competed its preliminary design review, which fixes in place critical markers within the program. 

Also, Honda Aircraft celebrated the official power-on ceremony for the Echelon’s advanced systems integration test facility (ASITF) at the company’s Greensboro, North Carolina, headquarters on August 30, 2023. 

Honda Aircraft targets the next aircraft level critical design review in the summer of 2024, with “select long lead fabrication already in progress,” according to a statement from the company. The OEM will produce the Echelon within the company’s current footprint at Greensboro, with early build processes to begin in 2024. 

First flight is projected for 2026, with type certification targeted for 2028.

Sustainability Efforts

Honda Aircraft also has taken its place in the race to more efficiency with its participation in the 2023 NBAA-BACE Sustainability Pledge, “demonstrating a commitment to make NBAA-BACE a more eco-friendly event,” according to the company. “In addition, Honda Aircraft Company is utilizing the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Book and Claim [SAFC] Program for its ferry flights to and from NBAA-BACE to promote the deployment of SAF and support the industry’s commitment to carbon neutrality.”

HondaJet Specs

Engines: Williams International FJ44-4C
Avionics: Garmin G3000
Configuration: 1 crew + 10 pax or 2 crew + 9 pax
NBAA IFR Range: (1 crew + 4 pax)* 2,625 nm
Maximum Cruise Speed*: 450 ktas
Maximum Cruise Altitude*: FL470

The post Honda Reveals Next Expression of the HondaJet Series with Echelon appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On Tuesday, the OEM revealed that development continues on the project, with its official “commercialization” or plan to pursue type certification on the clean-sheet light jet. Intended to be a midsize jet in a light jet’s body, the HondaJet 2600 is aimed at a 2,625 nm range (four passengers and one pilot, NBAA IFR) and 450 ktas maximum cruise speed—but at 20 percent better fuel efficiency than other light jets, and a 40 percent improvement over midsize models. 

The company targets FAA type certification in 2028, with entry into service as a single-pilot-operated platform. Up to 11 people can be seated on board, with the option for nine or 10 passengers depending on crew requirements.

• READ MORE: A Look at the HondaJet 2600 Concept

“The commercialization of our new light jet represents Honda’s next chapter of skyward mobility, which further expands the potential of people’s lives,” said Hideto Yamasaki, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft. “By building on the expertise behind our technological innovations, we will accelerate the development of the program with sustainability a key element throughout.”

Supply partners include Garmin, for the G3000 integrated flight deck, Williams International and its FJ44-4C engines, Spirit AeroSystems providing the fuselage, and Aernnova for other aerostructures and components. Fabrication of the first airframe is underway as Honda Aircraft completes initial engineering on the program.

On June 13 and 14,  Honda Aircraft will be hosting a supplier conference at its global headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, for those involved in the HondaJet 2600 program.

Specfications

The post Honda Aircraft Reveals Certification Plan for HondaJet 2600 Concept appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As reported exclusively by FLYING, the initial grounding of Jet It’s HondaJet fleet just started the snowball rolling. Soon after, Jet It grounded its entire fleet—including its Embraer Phenoms—and terminated its employees through a letter sent on May 26. The share owners of Jet It aircraft had also been told to find new homes for their assets.

While operators such as Volato and Jet Token have swooped in to court customers—and hopefully find positions for the type-rated pilots and other employees left hanging—the manufacturer of the HA-420 series is also standing ready to assist. 

Honda Aircraft has established a team that will help provide “seamless transitions to alternative aircraft management options for the HondaJet fractional owners who have been released from Jet It,” according to a statement from the company. This includes parking at HACI headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, for up to 90 days, including any pilot services needed to move those aircraft into position—free of charge to the customers.

This is no small thing, as several tails had been left in various states of “hangar limbo” following the Jet It shutdown—and some have been parked for nonpayment of maintenance and other outstanding bills.

“We understand the challenges faced by fractional owners who have been impacted by the suspension of their aircraft management after being released from contract by Jet It, and are now seeking alternative arrangements,” said Amod Kelkar, chief commercial officer and vice president of customer service for Honda Aircraft. “Consistent with our dedication to customer satisfaction, we have developed and established this assistance plan for those HondaJet owners in need of additional support during this transition period.”

Owners who think they might be eligible are encouraged to contact Honda Aircraft at hacifieldsupport@haci.honda.com.

The company is collaborating with the HondaJet Owners and Pilots Association and other groups on an upcoming safety standdown to address recent incidents involving runway overruns in the past 12 months. Runway excursions form a hot topic amongst business jet pilots and operators across the industry, as they make up the most common type of accident in business aviation, according to the National Business Aviation Association. Mitigating the risk will be the focus of the standdown.

“The HondaJet remains a reliable and safe aircraft to operate, and we reaffirm our confidence in the aircraft’s safety through our engineering and analysis,” said Kelkar, supporting the model. Honda Aircraft has delivered a total of 227 of the HA-420 series since 2015 through the first quarter of 2023, with approximately 212 of those on FAA registration. Jet It operated 21 tails through its program, encompassing roughly 10 percent of the total fleet.

The post Honda Aircraft Offers Free Logistics Help to Jet It Customers appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to several sources that reached out to FLYING, Jet It has begun a significant round of furloughs, capping a rough weekend for the company in which it has also voluntarily grounded its fleet and paused operations.

In its recent series of decisions made following a runway overrun accident of a HondaJet last week in South Carolina, Jet It moved first to a “safety stand down,” according to an email sent by CEO Glenn Gonzales to company stakeholders on Monday.

• READ MORE:  Jet It Grounds Fleet of Honda Aircraft

“After careful consideration of this and other recent similar events, we have made the difficult decision to implement a safety stand down as of May 18, and ground this aircraft type in our fleet effective immediately,” said Gonzales. “Jet It has taken this precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of our passengers, pilots, and the integrity of our operations. The stand down will be focused on reviewing policies and procedures for the safe operation of the HondaJet aircraft and gathering more information.”

HondaJet Owners and Pilots Association Responds

In its separate response to a series of 8 accidents that have taken place involving HondaJets over the past year, the HondaJet Owners and Pilots Association had already called for its own safety analysis, and subsequent informational sessions and training for operators to address those concerns at a future date—with no current pause in operations. In a video to its members, HJOPA executive director Julie Hughes framed the association’s position.

“All of you are experienced pilots, and while you have your own ideas involving each of these events, it’s critical that we do not jump to conclusions  or make unfounded assumptions,” said Hughes. “Instead, we are allowing the data to inform us about this concerning trend within our platform. This data-driven approach will guide us in taking appropriate actions to enhance the safety of each of our operations.” HJOPA is working in concert with Honda Aircraft Co., FlightSafety International, and its board and membership.

The “organized break in aviation activities” planned by HJOPA stands in contrast to the emergency-style “stand down” in progress at Jet It.

The Jet It Model

Jet It has positioned itself uniquely in the market, offering share owners use of the fractional fleet at a relatively low rate of $1,600 per hour. When the company is able to serve its customers utilizing its fleet, it typically makes a modest amount per hour on the transaction. But if the fractional has to fulfill a customer request for service with an aircraft outside of its fleet, that margin erodes sharply. 

In the midst of a dispute regarding service from Honda Aircraft Co., Jet It announced it would pivot its fleet away from the HA-420 and to Embraer’s Phenom 300. Part of the reason Gonzales gave for the change was in the “more than $20 million” in off-fleet expenses since 2020 that Jet It had to absorb—which it blamed on the poor service record for the HondaJet.

Honda Aircraft Co. (HACI) responded with a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed against Jet It, saying it had violated certain agreement terms and defamed the OEM with its disparaging statements. HACI dropped the lawsuit in a confidential settlement in April, and it confirmed that it considered Jet It a customer it would continue to provide service for as agreed upon.

However, Jet It’s own customers have reported significant fall off in service levels since the beginning of 2023, to the point of unreliability. Combined with the word from two former executive-level employees (speaking on condition of anonymity) that Jet It has begun furloughing personnel at all levels of the enterprise supports speculation that the business is in serious condition.

FLYING will be updating this story as more information becomes available.

The post Jet It Moves into Furloughs as Pause in Operations Continues appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Honda Aircraft Company announced Monday at the 2022 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) that the updated Hondajet Elite II will have increased range and autothrottle—and, most exciting in our minds, Garmin’s Autoland system.

“The HondaJet Elite II once again pushes the boundaries of its category on all fronts of performance, comfort, and style,” said Hideto Yamasaki, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company. “We are also excited to take our aircraft forward on the journey of automation by bringing new technologies to the market next year.” 

Safety—and Added Range

FLYING bestowed its 2021 Innovation Award on Garmin’s Autoland, which also secured the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy last year. The recognition stemmed from the advance in safety represented by the system, and Honda Aircraft cited this as a primary reason for its adoption on the Elite series.

In a statement released to FLYING, the company said, “This direction encapsulates the continuous effort to improve the HondaJet through automation, augmentation, and situational awareness technologies, to enhance operational safety and reduce pilot workload while aligning with global Honda’s commitment to advances in safety technology.”

Honda is also adding another key update to the Elite series, increasing the model’s range to 1,547 nm. It will retain its fuel efficiency as well, keeping its leadership position in the very light jet class. Ground spoilers will also come with the new model, improving takeoff and landing performance.

Performance, Avionics, and Style Updates

In total, the upgrades creating the Elite II form a substantial step up for the series. To summarize those features, we look at areas of performance, avionics, and style.

Performance

• Range: 1,547 nm, NBAA IFR with four occupants
• Increased fuel capacity: additional space to carry more fuel 
• Increased gross weight: maximum takeoff weight of 11,100 pounds 
• Ground spoiler: optimizes takeoff and landing field performance with increased weight 

Avionics

Based on the Garmin G3000 already found in the Elite model series, Honda Aircraft will add the following to its avionics suite:

• Stabilized approach, with aural and visual alerting
• Optional autothrottle, to automate power management based on desired flight characteristics, available in the first half of 2023
• Optional Emergency Autoland from Garmin, which activates in an emergency situation to autonomously control and land the aircraft without human intervention, available in the second half of 2023

Style

Along with the updates to the airframe and avionics, Honda also listed a slew of new color and interior options for the Elite II, including:

• New “Black Edition” 
• New Black Sable signature exterior paint schemes 
• New corporate paint scheme 
• New interior colors 
• Onyx: a rich and warm neutral greige cabin theme with mid-tone wood accents 
• Steel: a modern light cool grey theme with high contrast marble accents 
• New optional aisle flooring with hardwood herringbone and plank patterns 
• Acoustic Enhancement: nose to tail acoustic treatment for a tranquil cabin experience 
• Sheepskin covers available as an option for pilot seats
• Additional 3-inches of legroom configuration available for crew seat with extended seat track as an option 
• Interior multi-color LED lighting with soft indigo nighttime setting 
• Ground illumination on the main entry door 
• Integrated exterior lights 

The post Honda to Add Autoland to Its New Model appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Yamasaki took on the role upon the planned retirement of Michimasa Fujino, the mastermind of the HA420 and its evolution up to this year. Yamasaki has spent nearly all of his career in Honda’s automotive sectors, in increasing leadership roles in Japan, the U.S., Turkey, and Ukraine.

“I never thought of coming into aviation,” said Yamasaki, and he brings a different perspective to the role than the engineering focus exemplified by his predecessor. 

“I’m a sales guy. All of my life, [I have been] working for Honda—37 years,” he said, and except for a couple of years in an executive role, all of his experience has been in sales and marketing. Yamasaki intends to draw on his background developing customer relationships to lead Honda Aircraft into the future. 

Yamasaki acknowledges freely that there is a learning curve.

• READ MORE: FLYING’s Complete Coverage of EAA AirVenture 2022 

“What I found coming over to the aviation side, is the cycle of everything is so long—development or even to turn a profit. In automotive, we talk about maybe four to five years, but here I think it’s at least 20 to 30 years,” he said.

“The customers, attention-wise, it’s almost the same. We deliver 30 million engines to the world throughout our cars, motorcycles, whatever, but if you do the math, 30 million means every second—ticking the clock—we are delivering. We are meeting customers. That’s the kind of scale that Honda itself [has].” And the HondaJet lives within this scale.

Yamasaki credits Fujino with existing somewhat outside of that ecosystem. 

“Mr. Fujino himself really started this business maybe in a little different way originally from the ways that [Honda does things], but he has really made this product a superb product, and I think many customers are enjoying it right now. And I think the time will tell if they will be satisfied for the long term.”

Customer Service Expansion

Honda Aircraft announced its recent additions to the HondaJet customer service network, with four new locations—in Selangor, Malaysia; Bournemouth, U.K.; Portland, Oregon; and Sacramento, California—to bring its total global network to 21 locations overall and 12 in North America. The center in Malaysia is the company’s first in Southeast Asia. Type certification on the HA420 expands around the world, with approval in Thailand last year.

The goal is keeping the customer happy, and retaining their business. “Customers were telling us that they didn’t have bases [near] their town, so we try to be near the customer,” Yamasaki said. 

Four deliveries were made into Southeast Asia in the last year—not all new aircraft, but a couple of pre-owned models, reflecting the strength of the resale market for the model. Now with 219 aircraft in the field, and 120,000 flight hours logged, the maturity of the original HondaJet and its evolutions—the Elite and Elite S—continues to grow.

“The pre-owned market seems to be good,” said Yamasaki, and he brought up the example of the ten aircraft operating in Japan at present—five of which had been purchased by existing customers and brought over to Japan. “Those customers we have to take care of, with the dealership over there.”

Production Cycles

With the pandemic, Honda Aircraft has seen similar ebb and flow in its production lines as other GA manufacturers. “How do you say it? 360 degrees?” Yamasaki said. “It has really turned around. Just a year ago, we had many unsold planes, but now we have [such a] backlog—we have almost two years now.”

Yamasaki pointed out that the slow resolution of the pandemic as well as the supply chain has pushed and pulled on the production cycle. “Like all of the industry…just talking to some of the other manufacturers, other dealers, they tell the same story.”

Working through component substitutions driven by slow-downs or lapses in the supply chain is quite different with a certificated airplane, as opposed to doing so within the automotive industry, as Yamasaki has found. “I’m learning… to try to change the production sequence, where, of course, in automotive, whatever parts you can find, you switch the production sequence, according to whatever you can produce. But here…the line—you cannot change it.”

HondaJet 2600 Concept Update

Development on the HondaJet 2600 concept—unveiled at the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Expo in Las Vegas last fall—continues. “Our engineering [team] on a daily basis is working on specific areas of the challenges that we have. Of course, once we are introducing [the 2600] we want to be the best of the best,” Yamasaki said.

“We will make some kind of an announcement, maybe by the end of the year” to update on the program’s progress. “There are many customers who are expecting an upgrade from the current jet. Everyone in the company is looking at how we can promote that, leverage that…so that we can sustain our business over multiple aircraft,” he added.

“This one [the HA420] that Fujino-san was trying to make was a penetration, an introduction into the aircraft [market], which has been superbly done—all the fame, all the records, the purpose has [been] achieved.”

Based on this, Yamasaki said the extended version needs a little more tweaking—and should move Honda Aircraft firmly into the business jet market. A new product will also need to carry the brand mission forward—of the security, safety, and efficiency Honda is known for—as well as offer sustainability. “We’re talking about SAF [sustainable aviation fuel] or whatever, but [the HA420] itself is already 15 percent [more efficient],” than others in the class, he said.

A new direction under new leadership—but working from great DNA—is likely what Honda Aircraft needs to meet that future.

The post Honda Aircraft Company Soars Under New Leadership appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

It’s a critical time in this emerging sector, when capital funding and expertise can make the difference between success or failure. Several leading air taxi developers aim to achieve certification for their new aircraft within the next few years, and they’re now looking to strengthen their plans for eventual manufacturing programs. Air taxi developers are partnering with automotive companies across multiple roles, including suppliers, investors, and consultants. 

The list of collaborations is long, but here are some examples:

• California’s Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) is working with Stellantis (formerly known as Fiat Chrysler) (NYSE: STLA)
• Hyundai has created its own eVTOL spinoff: Supernal.
• Honda is also planning to produce its own air taxi.
• Germany-based Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM) recently announced a deal with Japan-based Denso.
• Volocopter, also based in Germany, has partnered with Mercedes -Benz parent company Daimler (OTC US: DDAIF).
• California-based Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) has Toyota (NYSE: TM) as a major investor. 
• In Japan, Suzuki is backing an eVTOL startup called SkyDrive.

Although Henry Ford was once a major player in both sectors, partnerships between traditional aviation OEMs and automotive manufacturers have been more sporadic—though Porsche itself has a track record here, having partnered with Mooney Aircraft Company in the late 1980s to create a Porsche-engined Mooney M20L or Mooney PFM, from 1988 to 1990.

Now that investors are pouring hundreds of millions into eVTOL development, it’s worth asking: Why is the automotive industry so interested?

Electrification

One reason: Electrification. With the advent of electric cars and trucks, some automakers are drawn to the potential of electrifying all forms of transportation—including aviation. 

“Air transportation has been a long-term goal for Toyota, and while we continue our work in the automobile business, this agreement sets our sights to the sky,” said Toyota Motor Corporation president and CEO Akio Toyoda in 2020, after announcing its collaboration with Joby. 

Electrification is driven largely by the push to reduce transportation’s carbon footprint by creating zero-emission vehicles and aircraft. 

Manufacturing at Scale

Another big reason for increasing auto industry partnerships with eVTOL: Manufacturing expertise. 

Major eVTOL developers are planning to scale up manufacturing and flight operations enough to pay for the high cost of developing and building aircraft. Eventually some companies hope to produce tens of thousands of air taxis—many more aircraft than traditional airplane manufacturers. This will require optimization across manufacturing and supply chain. 

“That’s much more akin to what the auto industry does in terms of scale, production, and cadence,” says Edison Yu, a Deutsche Bank analyst for the air taxi industry who has also spent years analyzing the auto industry. “Automakers realize their expertise is at producing very complicated vehicles at scale. They can offer manufacturing prowess to these companies as a way to tap into a potentially lucrative opportunity.”

In fact, experts say the market is there. Last year Morgan Stanley projected the total addressable market (TAM) of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) at more than a trillion dollars by 2040. “Honestly no one has any idea, I think, how much it truly could be,” Yu says. “I don’t think the UAM piece alone could be a trillion.”

EV Overlap

Air taxi development also overlaps in multiple ways with the emerging electric vehicle (EV) space. Although high-performance battery systems required for eVTOLs will be much more robust than EVs, there could be valuable synergy across battery-cell development and expenses. Auto companies are going to be more adept at scaling production of eVTOL batteries and lowering their cost. 

Let’s not forget about the available labor force and potential employee overlap. Leading eVTOL developers have recently been luring engineers specializing in powertrains and battery systems from places like Tesla and Apple —which is working on a self-driving car, Project Titan.

• READ MORE: Apple Engineers Jumping to eVTOL

Branding and Passenger Acceptance

Passenger acceptance is an issue often discussed by leaders in the eVTOL space. There are many questions about how long it would take passengers to feel comfortable about flying on a new form of air transportation. 

An air taxi operator flying an aircraft with a well-known automotive brand with a reliable reputation may be at an advantage. Would passengers be “more willing to fly on something with a brand that they’ve heard of before, which they perceive as safe?” asks Yu. It’s a great market research question that could yield fascinating results. 

Transportation Ecosystem

Some industry leaders envision the two sectors eventually could be part of a unified transportation ecosystem. 

• READ MORE: Honda Wants to Build an Air Taxi

Last year Honda unveiled a concept for an entire electric transportation ecosystem that would be coordinated by a ride sharing app. The idea offers an example of what could come from both the eVTOL and automobile industries working together: providing environmentally friendly mobility with seamlessly connected transportation service across ground and air. 

With its HondaJet, Honda has already made its mark in aviation. Mitsubishi also has aircraft manufacturing expertise and experience. Does that heritage make them a more valuable partner in an eVTOL partnership? 

“Heritage, while important, may be a little bit overrated,” Yu says. “It’s almost more about moving fast and having the right team of people. On the certification side, heritage could help. But it’s not as big of an advantage as it may appear.”

• READ MORE: A Look at the HondaJet 2600 Concept

Analysts agree that Toyota and Joby Aviation make for a powerful combination, largely because of the length of their partnership and Toyota’s legendary manufacturing and production processes. Archer Aviation’s partnership with Stellantis is also a significantly valuable collaboration, experts say, citing Stellantis’s Detroit legacy that includes legendary brands like Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge.  

When Ford Built Airplanes

As we mentioned earlier, Ford took an early interest in airplanes—eventually manufacturing the Ford Tri-Motor airliner. 

The all-metal “tin goose” helped prove commercial air travel could be reliable and safe. Sadly, the Great Depression forced Ford to end production of commercial aircraft. 

Given the historic precedent and the apparent synergies, it stands to reason that air taxi developers and automotive manufacturers could prove to be a powerful combination as the emerging eVTOL industry comes to fruition in the next few decades. 

The post Why is the Auto Industry So Interested in eVTOLs? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The engineer has dedicated his career to the development of the supporting technologies that would help power the HA-420 Hondajet, which has now surpassed 100,000 flight hours across a fleet of more than 200 aircraft in service—a unit milestone reached in late December.

Following the release of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) 2021 Shipment and Billings Report on Wednesday, Honda Aircraft Company said it had delivered 37 units of the Hondajet Elite during the year and claimed the model was “the most delivered aircraft in its class for the fifth consecutive year.” The total accounted for a reported $199.3 million in billings for the year.

Regarding the milestone flight hours and delivery announcement, Fujino said, “I am humbled and honored that the HondaJet continues to be selected by our owners and operators as we expand our global fleet. 

“Being the best-selling aircraft in our class for five consecutive years is a reflection of the Honda Aircraft team’s commitment to offering our customers a product of the highest performance, quality, and our maturity as a leader in the aviation industry,” he said. “We will continue to bring new value to the industry and provide superior service and support to customers.”

GAMA does not provide class segment information in its report. Similar models include the Embraer Phenom 100EV, at 6 deliveries, and the Cessna Citation M2, at 34 units.

The model gained certification approval in Thailand late last year, marking 14 countries that now recognize the HA-420 type.

The post Honda Aircraft’s Fujino Will Retire After a Career in Pursuit of the Hondajet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Overture Superfactory will comprise approximately 400,000 square feet and be constructed on a 65-acre campus at the Piedmont Triad airport. Boom proposes that the facility will bring more than 1,750 jobs to North Carolina by 2030 and more than 2,400 jobs in 2032. 

The move answered some questions for those who might have been curious about where the Colorado-based startup would designate a suitable place to build its Overture aircraft. But the step left one question unanswered.

Why North Carolina?

All indications point to Boom being able to join a growing aerospace cluster of approximately 200 companies with ties to Greensboro and Piedmont Triad, including Honda Aircraft Company, Textron Aviation (NYSE: TXT), HAECO, FedEx Express (NYSE: FDX), and others. It will be strategically beneficial for Boom to leverage the talent and capabilities.  

In a statement announcing the move, Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom said, “With some of the country’s best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina’s continued support, Boom is confident that Greensboro will emerge as the world’s supersonic manufacturing hub.”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called it “poetic and logical that Boom Supersonic would choose the state that’s first in flight,” harkening to the day of the Wright Brothers’ achievement at North Carolina’s Kill Devil Hills. 

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

For one, in conjunction with the Economic Development Partnership (EDP) of North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Commerce coordinated Boom’s recruitment. For those curious about who is a crucial driver of what, whom, and how much innovation might occur in their state, part of the answer relates to that behind-the-scenes EDP group.

Every state has an economic development partnership that rigorously incentivizes companies to set up shop in their area. A cursory look at how other states attract other aviation companies will find that familiar player in the mix. So what is an EDP, and how did they get Boom to come to Piedmont Triad?

An EDP’s goal is to promote development within a defined area and typically complement the work of a local or regional chamber of commerce. A chamber of commerce’s primary focus is to be a spokesperson for the local businesses in its area, while the economic development corporation tries to attract new companies to the site. 

• READ MORE: Five Things to Know about Boom Supersonic

To do this, a state-level economic development corporation taps into a cadre of incentives: low-interest loans, grants, tax credits, and other economic upsides that might be beneficial for that business.

In North Carolina’s case, its Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina’s (EDPNC), led by CEO Christopher Chung, went to work to win Boom’s business. 

Shortly after the announcement, Chung spoke exclusively with FLYING to explain how his entity successfully met Boom’s need for its superfactory and offered insights about states that could partner with aerospace and aviation companies to keep manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

With a staff of more than 60 professionals and an annual operating budget of more than $24 million, the EDPNC focuses on advancing the economic interests of North Carolina’s 100 counties and more than 10 million residents. Chung has been a prolific operator. He says for 2022, the EDPNC is working on 200 other deals complementary to Boom’s operation. 

Incentives for Boom

Chung told FLYING that some of the reasons they could attract Boom to the area were:

• The costs of doing business
• The strong aerospace industry
• Available talent in the area 

The Research Triangle and Park area of North Carolina has gained the confidence of companies like Apple, Toyota, and Google, which announced plans to expand their corporate footprint to that area. Boom perhaps wants to tap into the dense talent pool that will come with that.

“I know that it is very important for Boom to pull this off and to have a market-ready aircraft that sells well. They’re going to depend on human capital—both engineering and manufacturing,” Chung explained.

“I think that’s always been one of our strongest, strongest cards here in North Carolina—the depth of our talent pool, the diversity of our talent pool, and the fact that it keeps growing because people keep moving here.” 

According to the statement from the governor’s office, the project is supported by a high-yield job development investment grant (JDIG) that the state’s Economic Investment Committee approved. It was the first of its kind for North Carolina. The state estimates that Boom’s presence will grow the state’s economy by at least $32.3 billion over 20 years—the period when the grant could be active.

“The more attractive North Carolina is as a place to do business, that ultimately benefits any of the companies that are already here,” Chung said.

In exchange, Boom taps into more immediate incentives that allow them to scale its business faster. Chung explained that some of the incentives help with “real estate and facilities construction,” which allows Boom to put its direct funding to its aircraft.

Boom Must Create and Retain Jobs

The jobs incentive is also an important one. Using a formula that accounts for Boom’s $500 million investment and new tax revenues generated by the nearly 1,800 jobs, the JDIG agreement would reimburse Boom up to $87.2 million paid over 20 years.

“For every one of those 1,800 jobs they create, they’re essentially receiving a grant amount to spend those dollars however they want,” Chung explained, adding that “of course, it is tied to them creating those jobs. If they do that, they’re going to get this nice size annual grant every year from the state.”

Furthermore, the state would only have to pay once the Department of Commerce conducts a performance verification audit to see if Boom met the job creation goal and investment target.

On Boom’s end, the agreement requires that it contribute as much as $9.6 million into the state’s Industrial Development Fund-Utility Account. The utility account helps rural communities anywhere in the state finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. 

Salaries for the new jobs will vary by position but will average $68,792—better than the Guilford County average annual wage of $53,994. The state says this would increase the regional payroll by more than $120 million every year.

It won’t be so easy for Boom. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists jobs in the aerostructure field as one of the fastest declining fields over the next decade, shrinking by nearly 16 percent and replacing highly automated factories. FLYING asked Chung how the EDPNC was accounting for this or if provisions were allowed if Boom fell short of its job target.

“We know companies will have to evolve to stay competitive,” Chung shared. “But if we’re going to offer incentives to a company, that’s an agreement between the state, the community, and the company. The state has to hold its end of the bargain–so does the company. That means Boom is agreeing that in exchange for receiving these incentives from the state, they are going to be creating a certain number of jobs.”

Chung explained that Boom will need to be flexible, balancing automation to speed things up while adding enough jobs every year to meet the target.

The post How North Carolina Got Boom’s Overture ‘Superfactory’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

New York Airways (1953-1979) and Los Angeles Airways (1947-1971)—along with similar operations in San Francisco and Chicago—were aviation trailblazers, part of the first wave of vertical takeoff and landing passenger airlines.

These aircraft weren’t electric, of course, but helicopters were still being perfected at the time. Just like any emerging technology, the helicopter airlines of the mid-20th century had their share of difficult challenges, including ridership and operating costs. Despite the benefit of federal subsidies, it was public perception in the wake of deadly accidents that eventually spelled the end. 

As Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR), Joby Aviation (NYSE:JOBY), Volocopter, and others make plans to build their electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) airlines, they share many economic commonalities with their predecessors. Their key questions surrounding success will be the same: 

• What routes will generate optimum revenue? 
• What strategies will increase ridership and decrease operating costs?
• How can the technology and design of the aircraft be improved?

With that in mind, here are five lessons the eVTOL industry could take away from rotorcraft airline pioneers:

1. Obviously: Safety First

Of course, airlines must always make safety number one priority. May 16, 1977, provided a tragic reminder why.

Four passengers were killed while boarding a New York Airways Sikorsky S-61L helicopter at the heliport atop the iconic Pan Am Building in Midtown Manhattan. Sixty stories below, a pedestrian walking along Madison Avenue was fatally injured after being hit by parts of the helicopter’s main rotor blades falling from the rooftop.

“It was a mess. It was mayhem,” recalls longtime aviation industry consultant Robert Mann, who was in the city that day. “That was the beginning of the end of New York Airways.”

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report, “All fatalities were caused by the operating rotor blades as a result of the collapse of the landing gear.” The report blamed fatigue failure of a forward fitting on the right main landing gear tube assembly.

Ironically, Mann was in Manhattan that day to finalize a deal to expand helicopter service to the region. The tragedy effectively ended Mann’s Department of Transportation proposal for a tri-state commuter network that merged helicopters, cars, and rail. Instead, he joined American Airlines as an industry analyst and later as a fleet planner. The accident triggered a local ban on rooftop heliport operations that still exists today. 

Two years later, New York Airways was history.

A decade earlier in California, two tragic accidents also led to the end of Los Angeles Airways, which billed itself as “the world’s first helicopter airline.” 

Flight 417 and Flight 841 crashed in separate accidents in 1968 en route between Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) and the now defunct Anaheim Disneyland Heliport, killing a total of 44 passengers and crew. The NTSB blamed both crashes on mechanical failures. 

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A 1977 report commissioned by NASA determined that Los Angeles Airways “went out of business, not because of high costs or high fares, but because of a great decrease in passenger volume resulting mostly from [the crashes].” 

The importance of putting safety front and center is clearly on the minds of today’s eVTOL industry leaders. 

Archer Aviation co-founder and co-CEO Brett Adcock focused on safety considerations surrounding his company’s air taxi prototype in a walkaround video released last June. “As we design the aircraft, safety was our number one goal,” Adcock said. “We can tolerate an entire system battery pack failure or two motor failures and still fly the mission safely.”

When Archer’s rival, Joby Aviation, talks about safety, it often mentions its “more than 1,000 test flights completed over the last 10 years,” and how the aircraft is designed to “meet the uncompromising safety standards set by the FAA.”

In addition to aircraft designs, safely integrating these low-flying air taxis into the existing national air space will be critical to success. Also, the infrastructure necessary for boarding, maintaining, landing, and departure must be designed with safety as a top priority. 

2. Encourage Public Acceptance

“It is important to encourage public acceptance,” the 1977 NASA helicopter study said. It suggested accomplishing this “by the introduction of helicopter systems between airports.”

Virtually all of the major companies planning to start eVTOL airlines are planning routes to and from airports. 

NASA recognized that “the main advantage of the helicopter is its potential for saving time” as well as their potential to energize surrounding economies. “They will open up jobs for pilots, mechanics, and ground personnel.”

In the long term, eVTOL companies plan to fly their air taxis without on-board pilots—they’ll be flown by remote control or by automated flight systems. Initially, eVTOL business plans call for pilots to be on board. “Having a piloted service will aid with consumer acceptance,” Joby said in an SEC filing last July. 

3. Keep a Critical Eye on Operating Costs

The NASA report made its conclusion clear: “The major disadvantage of the helicopter is the high operating costs.” 

In the early 1960s, tickets on a New York Airways airport shuttle cost between $5 and $9—the equivalent of about $47 to $86 in today’s dollars. Obviously, it’s too early for eVTOL airlines to announce fares, but estimates have ranged from $2.25 to $11, per passenger, per mile.

• READ MORE: How Much Will Air Taxis Cost Passengers?

Running helicopter airlines was so expensive during the 1950s and ’60s, the federal government was compelled to provide $50 million in subsidies to help with operating costs and technology through 1965. That works out to $441.2 million in today’s dollars. 

In fact, during fiscal year 1959 alone, subsidies amounted to 63 percent of total revenue, according to the FAA. Nonetheless, by 1977, the NASA study determined that federal financial aid failed to solve the industry’s revenue problems. 

In general, eVTOL passenger air taxis are designed with lower operating costs in mind. Obviously, they don’t burn costly fossil fuels. Also, experts say they tend to have fewer mechanical parts than conventional rotorcraft. As a result, advocates say maintenance expenses will likely be lower, along with aircraft downtime.

The eVTOL long-term plan for keeping budgets relatively low includes automated aircraft flown by artificial intelligence software. When the industry matures, leaders hope to reduce their payroll costs by limiting the number of pilots needed to fly their fleets of hundreds of air taxis. 

4. Maintain Tight Routes 

A 1959 FAA report titled “Project Hummingbird” took a deep dive into helicopter commercial transport to analyze the market for what was being called “aerobus,” “aerocab,” and “aerolimosine” services. 

It examined three possible “short-haul passenger markets susceptible to development by steep-gradient aircraft because of their ability to operate from small areas”: routes linking airports and business districts, flights linking nearby cities, and short flights for commuters traveling from downtown to the suburbs. 

The FAA concluded all those years ago that “commuter travel by helicopter between suburban points and city centers seems likely to develop only to a very limited extent.”

New York Airways routes were fairly limited, linking Manhattan with the region’s three major airports: Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR), LaGuardia Airport (KLGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK). Some helicopter airlines tried to reduce operating costs by consolidating network routes. 

A route consolidation, if successful, can allow an airline network to serve the same destinations with fewer aircraft operations. The result would be a decrease in overall operating costs.

The key is consolidating the routes enough—but not too much. Excessive consolidation might backfire and result in lower passenger demand. 

As an example, SFO Helicopter Airlines—in California’s San Francisco and Oakland market—underwent a reorganization in the 1970s. Then-President Richard Lovorn reduced staff and “cut back the elaborate route network,” according to the NASA report. “As a result, SFO was able to operate with some success….” until the mid-1980s.

It’s very early for aspiring eVTOL airlines to be making commitments to establish specific routes. However, in Los Angeles, several companies, including Archer, Joby, and Volocopter are already talking with a local government-community transportation partnership about possible locations for neighborhood vertiports. Archer has partnered with United Airlines, suggesting its eVTOLs would carry United passengers on routes linking downtown or suburban departure points to KLAX—which is a United hub.

Investor materials indicate that Joby is considering direct routes with no layovers. Aside from the battery technology, which limits eVTOL range, compared with helicopters, there are other reasons why this makes sense. Based on analysis from the NASA helicopter study back in the ’70s, “It seems unlikely that passengers would patronize a system requiring more than three takeoffs and landings on what otherwise would be a short trip.” 

Blade (NASDAQ:BLDE) is already proving that a vertical takeoff and landing service can work in New York.

In 2014, Blade started offering on-demand helicopter flights from Manhattan to surrounding destinations. The company offers flights to New York airports and has plans to transition to eVTOL aircraft in the coming decades. 

“We may be flying helicopters today, but we’re not a helicopter company,” Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal told CNBC in December. “Our job is to find high-friction routes—routes that take a long time by car, a short time by helicopter, that are priced effectively. That could be going to the airport…It could be flying to UBS [Arena] from New York to see your favorite team.”

5. Include First and Last Mile 

Helicopter airlines of the 20th century, according to the NASA report, suffered from a “disadvantage” that “a secondary access mode is needed from the heliport to the final destination and vice versa.” 

These days, that concept is called “first and last mile”—in other words, making sure passengers can seamlessly transfer to ground transportation immediately after their flights. 

Blade already includes this in its business model. Honda has proposed building an entirely new “mobility ecosystem” that includes eVTOLs, automated, self-driving cars, and a reservation-service system.

• READ MORE: Honda Announces eVTOL and Mobility Ecosystem

Archer and Joby plan to include the first and last mile in their passenger services, as well. In fact, Joby, which is backed by Uber, intends to leverage Uber’s already popular mobile ride-share app to include ground transportation.  

The first wave of vertical takeoff and landing airlines ended more than 30 years ago. But the airlines’ failures and successes provide a foundation of valuable lessons for the nascent eVTOL industry.

The post 5 Lessons eVTOL Can Learn from Legacy Helicopter Airlines appeared first on FLYING Magazine.