While Honda Aircraft anticipated delivering three to four of its light jets before the end of 2013, company officials now say certification of the HondaJet is delayed until the end of 2014. The delay is one of several over the last couple of years related to issues with the new GE Honda Aero engines powering the HondaJet.
In October 2012, the Honda Aircraft officials said that testing still to be done on the engines would delay engine certification until mid-2013. At that point, the aircraft was scheduled to be certificated within a few months following engine certification, allowing Honda to deliver three to four airplanes before the end of this year. However, under the new timeline, the HF120 engines are now not scheduled to be certified until the fourth quarter of 2013.
Meanwhile, Honda continues to conduct test flights with its three conforming aircraft and continues to build customer airplanes at its Greensboro, N.C., factory.
Andrew Broom, division director of corporate communications and marketing, reports that the company will have additional news to share at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland, later this month.
