Thank you. We currently handle maintenance for 60 HondaJets, providing fuel supply for aircraft in the southeastern United States, as well as repairs, inspections, and part replacements for aircraft and electronic equipment in accordance with various guidelines, and aircraft sales.

As mentioned earlier, when we heard the news in 2014 that Honda was developing an aircraft, we were confident that this business would succeed and believed our services could meet Honda’s quality standards. We applied for a business partnership and have been providing after-sales service for HondaJet for over 10 years.

I first encountered Honda products when I was 15 years old. In the rural town in Nigeria where I grew up, scooters and mopeds with bicycle-style pedals were the most common mode of transportation. One day, I saw a Honda motorcycle without pedals.  I begged my parents to buy it for me. That motorcycle had no oil leaks, the lights were bright, and the engine was surprisingly quiet. It was like magic.

Two years later, when I was 17, I rode a Honda CB175 (175cc sports bike) and traveled across West Africa and neighboring countries. I embarked on a journey from my hometown of Egbe in Nigeria to London, England, crossing the Sahara Desert. There were no roads, and I had to refuel at fuel stations at oases every 500 miles on a bike that could cover approximately 250 miles per day. During that 2,000-mile journey, I became completely captivated by Honda products. This experience is the foundation of my trust and affection for Honda. To date, I have purchased over 100 Honda products (motorcycles, automobiles, power products, and aircraft), including those for my family.

When I was a child, the hospital where my parents worked and the boarding school I attended were about 500 miles apart, and the only way to travel was by small aircraft. A journey that would take two and a half days by Land Rover (off-road SUV) could be completed in just three and a half hours by light aircraft.

From this childhood experience, I realized how useful aviation could be as a mode of transportation in rural areas like Africa, and I was deeply attracted to its safety, time-saving efficiency, and comfort. I earned money by repairing and restoring Honda Civics, which at that time were still relatively unknown, but something I knew to be a quality car, while studying aviation in Toronto, Canada.

After graduating from school, I began working as a contract pilot for light aircraft. I flew piston-engine light aircraft carrying about 10 passengers, but I gradually noticed that many small charter aircraft were struggling with maintenance. For small companies with only two light aircraft, it was not practical to hire full-time mechanics and meet the strict maintenance requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Additionally, there were not many companies offering maintenance services for such small operators.

In 1979, when I was 25, I decided to establish a maintenance service company specializing in small charter companies with three or fewer aircraft. Together with a friend I had known since childhood, I founded Banyan Air Service in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Since founding the company, I have dedicated myself to providing swift and high-quality service. For example, if a customer called at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night saying, “The battery has failed, but we need to fly passengers on a charter flight tomorrow morning,” I would rush to the site within 10 minutes and repair the aircraft. Such service and rapid response gained recognition gradually became our reputation.

Time passed, and in 2014, I heard about Honda’s announcement that they were developing an aircraft. The beauty and efficiency of the HondaJet were the epitome of corporate aviation. I was also strongly drawn to the Over-The-Wing-Engine-Mount (the HondaJet’s distinctive feature of positioning engines on top of the wings, rather than on the sides of the fuselage) developed by HACI. The AMS program (Aircraft Management Services) offered by Honda Aircraft Company, which allows owners to entrust aircraft maintenance, pilot training, and operational planning and management to HACI-certified experts, also seemed appealing. I proposed a business partnership with Honda, and here we are today.

“The Power of Dreams” represents a vision, while “How we move you.” symbolizes the emotional connection we strive to create. We are not just a fueling station, we are partners. Our goal is for customers to feel that Banyan is their home.

Additionally, we refer to our associates as “teammates” and have built long-term relationships with them. Many teammates have been with us for decades since our founding. This aligns with Honda’s philosophy of “Respect for the individual,” does it not?

I recall the words Fujino-san (HACI’s first President and CEO) shared with me during my first visit to the HACI factory. At that time, through our discussions, I gained a deep sense of how Honda envisions the long-term future.

Paying close attention to user feedback and incorporating it into improvements. This approach embodies the Honda Philosophy and aligns perfectly with the principles and philosophy that we at Banyan have always valued.

Honda’s “Three Joys” philosophy is something I feel constantly in my work. The joy of buying is evident in the delivery experience at HACI. It is a special moment when the new owner is congratulated by the staff who actually manufactured the aircraft. The joy of selling is felt when conveying the appeal of the HondaJet. And the joy of creating is also realized by Banyan through customization and maintenance.

As I mentioned earlier, our goal is to provide service that makes HondaJet owners feel that Banyan is their home. Recently, we opened a new hangar in St. Augustine, Florida, to enhance service levels for customers in the southern region. We are also considering the construction of a larger facility by 2026. We are committed to continuing to provide new value to the aviation industry alongside Honda, a company I believe in.