Honda Launches Business Jet Production

Honda Motor Co. says it has begun commercial production of the seven-passenger HondaJet plane project it launched in 1999.

The $3.7 million twin-turbofan plane is being assembled at Honda Aircraft Co. headquarters in Greensboro, N.C. The facility has capacity to build about 70 jets per year.

The first prototype of the 43-foot-long plane made its maiden flight in 2003. The company originally expected to begin deliveries in 2010.

Honda says its plane's unusual but more efficient engine-over-wing design is about 30% more fuel efficient than any other small business jet on the market. The company says the aircraft also is faster, higher-flying and quieter than its competitors.

The plane features single-sheet aluminum wings and a carbon fiber composite fuselage. The cockpit is equipped with three 14-inch landscape displays and two touchscreen controllers.