Honda Aircraft Company
Groundbreaking of the new facility at Honda Aircraft’s headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. Credit: PRNewsFoto.

Honda Aircraft has started construction on a new wing production facility for HondaJet Elite at Greensboro, North Carolina, US.

The new facility will allow for more HondaJet Elite wings to be assembled concurrently, resulting in enhanced production efficiency.

The expansion will enable the company to create additional storage for service parts for the increased fleet of HondaJets worldwide.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said: “The 2007 announcement that Honda Aircraft Company would make its home in Greensboro helped North Carolina become the second-fastest-growing aviation cluster in the United States.”

Slated for completion next July, the expansion is a $15.5m investment in an 83,000ft² facility on the company’s campus in Greensboro.

Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michimasa Fujino said: “When I founded Honda Aircraft, our mission was to add new value to the industry and introduce a new lifestyle with the HondaJet around the globe.

“With our community’s support, we have achieved this as HondaJets are improving the lives of our customers throughout the world.  The relationships we have with all of you have been instrumental to our progress and success as a company.”

The HondaJet Elite incorporates Honda Aircraft’s Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration, Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) nose and wing, as well as composite fuselage. The advancements contribute to better performance of the aircraft.

It is fuel-efficient, emits fewer greenhouse gases and has been certified for single-pilot operation.

In June 2017, the company secured type certification from Transport Canada for its HondaJet airplane.