With a bit of fanfare this morning at the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Honda Aircraft Company pulled the curtain on the official marketing name for its new light jet. What was unveiled at BACE in 2021 as the HondaJet 2600 concept shall now be known as the HondaJet Echelon. The naming firmly establishes the next jet in the company’s lineup—and play to move up the scale.
The promise? To take the light jet category up a notch, and attempt to translate a “midsize jet experience” to a smaller platform—one capable of transcontinental U.S. trips. In doing so, Honda Aircraft anticipates an increase in mission flexibility for owner-pilots while keeping operating costs—and fuel burn—in check. The proposed design may attain up to 20 percent increased fuel efficiency over other light jets and up to 40 percent over midsize jets with which it expects to compete.
