Honda Aircraft Company Expands HondaJet Sales to Europe

- European Sales to begin in May at annual EBACE conference in Geneva -

GREENSBORO, N.C., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Honda Aircraft Company, Inc.,
today announced plans to expand sales of HondaJet to Europe, beginning in May
at the annual EBACE (European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition)
conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The sales expansion comes as Honda
Aircraft Company today finalized its U.S. distribution network with the
selection of Albany, New York, as the final location among its five sales and
service facilities being established across the country.
Honda's decision to expand sales of its advanced light jet to the rapidly
growing European market is in response to strong demand for the aircraft from
customers throughout the region. Offering class-leading performance, fuel
efficiency, interior cabin space and cargo capacity, HondaJet is well suited
to meet the needs of European business and personal light jet owners and
operators.
"We are excited to initiate sales in Europe, where we have received a
steady stream of inquiries from interested customers who will now have the
opportunity to reserve delivery of a HondaJet," said Michimasa Fujino, Honda
Aircraft Company president and CEO. "We are committed to providing our
customers with both a class-leading product and a sales and service support
system that exceed their expectations for private jet ownership and travel."
Honda recently expanded HondaJet sales throughout North America,
announcing the establishment of a sales and service strategy for Mexico and
Canada. "The expansion of HondaJet sales to Europe is an important step in
the continued evolution of our business strategy, which seeks to address the
extensive worldwide demand for HondaJet," said Fujino.
Further details regarding the HondaJet European sales and service support
strategy and delivery timing will be released by Honda on May 20, 2008, at
EBACE.
With the selection of Albany, N.Y., as the location for its HondaJet East
sales and service facility, Honda has completed the establishment of a
nationwide U.S. sales and service infrastructure for HondaJet. Tallahassee,
Fla. (HondaJet Southeast), Aurora, Ill. (HondaJet Midwest), Phoenix, Ariz.
(HondaJet Southwest), and Salt Lake City, Utah (HondaJet Northwest) previously
have been announced as HondaJet sales and service locations. Honda has
established its U.S. sales and service network to provide unparalleled quality
and convenience to HondaJet customers, with flight times for all customers to
their nearest facility limited to 90 minutes or less.
Construction on all of the U.S. HondaJet sales and service facilities will
begin in the near future, and completion is scheduled to coincide with the
anticipated certification and first deliveries of HondaJet in 2010.
About HondaJet
Honda Aircraft Company began U.S. sales of the HondaJet in October 2006
and quickly amassed orders for well over 100 units. HondaJet is Honda's
first-ever commercial aircraft and lives up to the company's reputation for
dynamic performance together with superior efficiency, delivering
class-topping cruise speed and fuel efficiency, greater luggage capacity and a
more spacious cabin with seating for up to eight people, compared to other
similarly sized jet aircraft. All major assembly and testing of the prototype
HondaJet has been conducted at the company's existing Greensboro, N.C.,
facility, which opened in 2001 as an extension of Honda's global R&D
operations.
Working closely with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Honda
Aircraft Company anticipates its first test flight of a conforming model in
early 2009, with the overall timetable calling for the achievement of type
certification in 2010. The company is scheduled to begin deliveries of
HondaJet to U.S. customers in 2010. European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
certification is being pursued concurrently with FAA certification.
All HondaJet customer deliveries will take place at Honda Aircraft
Company's new world delivery center, currently under construction along with
its new world headquarters, R&D facility, and production plant at the Piedmont
Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. The world
headquarters and R&D facility are scheduled for completion in summer 2008,
with the production plant and delivery center scheduled for completion in late
2009.
Worldwide HondaJet pilot training will be conducted in partnership with
Flight Safety International, which will include the development of a Level-D
full-motion flight simulator for HondaJet. The first simulator will be
installed at Honda Aircraft Company's new headquarters facility. Additional
training facilities will be established in the future as HondaJet sales
continue to grow.
Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Honda Motor
Co., Ltd. Founded in Japan in 1948, Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959
with the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda's first
overseas subsidiary. Learn more about HondaJet at http://www.hondajet.com.
SOURCE Honda Aircraft Company, Inc.

Stephen Keeney of Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., +1-336-662-0246