Honda Aircraft has completed the first wing assembly for its HondaJet Echelon programme, moving the new light jet closer to airframe integration and test preparation. Final assembly of the first aircraft is now scheduled for early next year, while the programme’s first flight has been pushed back into early 2027.
The wing milestone is a significant step for the Echelon, Honda Aircraft’s next business jet and successor to the company’s established HondaJet line. The delay means the aircraft will miss its previously planned first-flight timing, extending the development schedule for a programme that is closely watched by prospective buyers and certification authorities. No reason for the postponement was disclosed in the available material.
Honda Aircraft has not given a revised certification timetable beyond the updated first-flight outlook. The company’s existing target for entry into service had already positioned Echelon as a key product in the light-jet segment, and the latest schedule shift now places its next major milestone in the first months of 2027.