Honda Aircraft expects higher light jet deliveries in 2019

Honda Aircraft CE Michimasa Fujino said Tuesday he expects deliveries of the HondaJet to rise in 2019 above the estimated 50 aircraft customers will take this year, as the light business plane maker targets Asia for growth. In 2017, the division of Honda Motor Co delivered 43 of the six-seater light business jets, which competes against planes like Embraer's popular Phenom 300. Honda Aircraft has recently introduced a longer-range version of the plane called the HondaJet Elite and announced a new performance package this week to owners who want to upgrade the original HondaJet. Fujino said he was targeting growth in the fledgling Japanese market, which he said did not "know" business jets and had a low market penetration. He is also eying sales in China, which is currently dominated by larger executive planes and where tight government controls over airspace have hurt growth of the private jet market, analysts say. "We have a very good, healthy backlog," said Fujino, without providing a specific number. Fujino said the company has delivered a total of 92 HondaJets.<br/>