HondaJet Elite til Hawaii - Hele 15 av dem - Curt Lewis

Hawaiian air group purchases 15 HondaJet Elite planes


Wing Spirit will put into service 16 HondaJet Elite plans it recently ordered from Greensboro-based Honda Aircraft Company

With a recent order of 15 aircraft, HondaJets will soon be criss-crossing the skies above the Hawaiian islands.

A newly established aviation group, Wing Spirit, will employ Greensboro-based Honda Aircraft Co.'s HondaJet Elite as the first light jet to enter service in Hawaii.

The order brings to 125 the HondaJet fleet in service around the world. The planes accommodate as many as seven passengers and crew members. Wing Spirit will use the jets to provide luxury inter-island transportation throughout the Hawaiian chain.

"Wing Spirit's purchase is a realization of our goal to expand the world's business jet market," said Honda Aircraft Co. President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. "Prior to the HondaJet's entry into service in the region, no other light jet had operated in Hawaii."

Wing Spirit took Initial deliveries of HondaJet Elites earlier this month. The air service is also exploring using HondaJets as air ambulances and for aviation education opportunities.

"When deciding how we could best provide convenient and luxurious transportation to the residents and tourists in Hawaii, the HondaJet was a natural choice," said Sal Miwa, Wing Spirit executive vice president and CEO. "We are thrilled to expand our fleet to 15 HondaJets and for our customers to experience the most technologically advanced jet in its class. "

Honda Aircraft Co.'s sales and service network includes North America, Europe, Central America, South America, Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, India and Japan.

In May, it announced it will spend $15.5 million to add an 82,000-square-foot wing assembly center to its HondaJet campus. The new center will allow workers to assemble more wings at the same time, resulting in increased production efficiency, said Fujino.