GREENSBORO, N.C. – April 2, 2018 – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced that Honda Aircraft Company will receive the 2018 Foundation Award for Excellence. This award acknowledges the company’s exceptional accomplishments in the aerospace community, including leading the design, development and commercialization of the HondaJet and subsequently setting a new standard in business aviation. Honda Aircraft will be presented with the award during the AIAA Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala on May 2nd at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. 

“Being selected by the AIAA for the 2018 Foundation Award for Excellence is an honor and, on behalf of everyone at Honda Aircraft Company, we are proud to be presented with this tremendous accolade. It is a great privilege to be recognized by such a distinguished organization for our development of the HondaJet, the most technologically advanced light jet,” said AIAA Fellow and Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. 

Leading Honda into aviation, the HondaJet is a game changer in the business aviation industry and the culmination of extensive research, development and testing. The clean-sheet aircraft was created to provide the customer the best value and experience by utilizing advanced technologies, including the aeronautic breakthrough over-the-wing engine mount (OTWEM), a newly developed natural laminar flow (NLF) wing and fuselage nose and a composite fuselage.  A proven industry disruptor, the HondaJet was the most delivered aircraft in its category in 2017, has broken 13 speed records and has been certified and delivered in countries around the globe.

Established in 1998, the AIAA Foundation Award for Excellence acknowledges outstanding achievements by individuals or groups in the aerospace community. Those recognized offer a unique achievement or extraordinary lifetime contributions inspiring the global aerospace community. Past recipients include NASA’s Langley Research Center, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter Program and Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The HondaJet is the fastest, highest-flying, quietest, and most fuel-efficient jet in its category. The HondaJet incorporates many technological innovations in aviation design, including the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration that dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The OTWEM design also reduces cabin noise, minimizes ground-detected noise, and allows for the roomiest cabin and largest baggage capacity in its class and a fully serviceable private aft lavatory. The HondaJet is equipped with the most sophisticated glass flight deck available in any light business jet, a Honda-customized Garmin® G3000. The HondaJet is Honda's first commercial aircraft and lives up to the company’s reputation for superior performance, efficiency, quality and value.

Honda Aircraft Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Founded in 2006, Honda Aircraft’s world headquarters is located in North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation. The challenging spirit upon which Mr. Soichiro Honda founded Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is alive today as Honda Aircraft fulfills one of Honda’s longstanding dreams to advance human mobility skyward.