How Far Can The Elite II Fly?

Summary

HondaJet Elite II offers increased range allowing for more destination options.
Features more fuel capacity, a composite frame and aerodynamic improvements for better fuel efficiency and performance.
Equipped with advanced Garmin avionics system for enhanced safety and automation.

The HondaJet Elite II is the company’s latest very light jet (VLJ), offering major upgrades on previous models, notably its increased range, avionics system and extra fuel capacity. With its longer range, the Elite II can operate on flight routes unavailable to previous generations of the HondaJet family.

The HondaJet Elite II

Built with lightweight carbon composite materials, the Elite II is lighter than former models in the HondaJet range, enabling it to fly at higher altitudes and burn less fuel. Along with this, aerodynamic tweaks to the jet’s over-the-wing engine mount (OTWEM) design have improved its performance, further increasing fuel efficiency and reducing drag.

Powered by the same GE Honda HF120 jet engines and with a maximum range of 1,547NM – 100NM more than the Elite and Elite S – the Elite II also offers a higher MTOW (11,100 lbs), while its top cruising speed (422 knots) remains the same as its predecessors. It will also be able to fly up to 43,000 ft in altitude.

Photo: HondaJet

With its range of 1,547NM, the jet can perform handily on many popular city pairings worldwide. As seen in the above map, the Elite II has genuine globe-hopping capability. Let’s take a look at a few examples to show where owners of the Elite II would be able to fly their jet.

London

If we take an operator in London as an example, the Elite II can reach anywhere in Europe, with cities like Istanbul and Athens well in range. This applies to most other major European cities too, so the Elite II will be an easy sell for European customers.

Dubai

For a Dubai owner, the plane can travel as far as Turkey and Egpyt and also reach most cities in India. It is also in range of East Africa for onward connections to the rest of the continent and could possibly reach major Asian cities, like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, with a single stopover.

Shanghai

A Chinese operator based in Shanghai (or even Beijing) would be within range of Japan and Southeast Asian nations like Thailand and Vietnam. The Elite II can also fly directly between Beijing and Hong Kong.

In the US

The Elite II can’t manage coast-to-coast operations, but operators can easily reach anywhere in the country with at most a single stop. However, although the jet could reach Iceland from several leading European cities (like London or Frankfurt), the US is out of its reach on a single flight from Iceland.

An Embraer Phenom 100 flying in the sky.

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These aircraft bring a lot of value to the table.

Leading avionics

The jet features the Garmin G3000 avionics package, one of the most advanced systems on the market today. This will offer many safety features and can help significantly decrease pilot workload, allowing pilots to focus on other aspects of flying the plane. Some of its features include:

Autothrottle
Visual and aural alerts for unstabilized approaches
Automatic ground spoiler deployment
Garmin Autoland to automatically land the plane in emergencies

Photo: HondaJet

This will be on top of other features, such as advanced steering augmentation system, electronic stability and protection, automated anti-ice, lighting and pressurization systems, and under-speed protection to prevent stalls. The Elite II will be the first in its class to be equipped with an emergency auto-land capability.

The jet received its FAA type certification in November 2022 before making its public debut at the 2023 European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. Honda says it has delivered 250 HondaJets as of February 2024, making it one of the best-selling aircraft in its class.

With a typical layout of one pilot and six passengers, or two pilots and five passengers, the Elite II incorporates various comfort features, such as acoustics, executive leather seating and a speakerless sound system. Its over-the-wing engine mount design further enhances cabin comfort by reducing noise.

Against the competition

The HondaJet Elite II competes with other very light jets on the market, such as the Embraer Phenom 100EV and the Cessna Citation M2. While decisively beating the Phenom for range, it has an almost identical range with the M2, but a higher cruising speed of 422 knots compared to the M2’s 404 knots.

An Embraer Phenom 100 parked in front of a hangar.

Photo: Embraer

However, this is reflected in the Elite II’s higher price of $6.95 million, compared to the Phenom ($4.95 million) and the M2 ($5.2 million). Both the M2 and Phenom usually seat an extra passenger with capacity for seven, but the Elite II can also be configured to seat seven if needed.

The 2600 will fly further

The company’s upcoming Honda 2600 jet is set to offer even more range with a maximum of 2,625NM, the best in its class. This would enable the jet to fly non-stop from one US coast to another and at a slightly higher speed of over 480 knots too, as well as enabling more convenient transatlantic trips. However, don’t expect to see the 2600 in the skies anytime soon, as the model isn’t expected to receive certification until at least 2028.