HondaJet Completes Successful Flight on 100% SAF Blend
Honda Aircraft Company today announced that it has become the first twin-turbine very light business jet manufacturer to fly a HondaJet using a 100% sustainable aviation fuel blend. The successful test flight strengthens Honda’s leadership in greener business aviation and showcases real-world viability for SAF in the very light jet category.
A production-model HondaJet took off with a blend of Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids, Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene, and Hydrodeoxygenated Synthetic Aromatic Kerosene. The aircraft flew over the Greensboro area and landed at the company’s world headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport. Engineers at Honda Aircraft Company led the programme in close collaboration with GE Honda Aero, the General Electric-Honda joint venture that designs the HF120 engines fitted to the HondaJet. Under the venture, Honda Aero, Inc. builds the HF120 engine in Burlington, North Carolina.
HondaJet operators already fly on approved sustainable aviation fuel blends of up to 50%, improving lifecycle CO₂ performance without modification. GE Honda Aero completed ground tests of the HF120 engine on 100% SAF in 2022 and 2023, which supported the feasibility of this latest flight and underpinned the propulsion system’s readiness for higher SAF blends.
"We are immensely proud of our Honda Aircraft Company engineering team carrying forward our commitment to the future of aviation by demonstrating that the HondaJet is capable of operating on a 100% SAF blend," said Amod Kelkar, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Honda Aircraft Company. "This achievement is a step toward aligning our business activities with the global Honda goal of decarbonising our business activities by 2050."
Honda engineered the HondaJet airframe for efficiency and maintained laminar flow across key surfaces, which delivers up to a 20% improvement in fuel economy over comparable aircraft in its class. The HondaJet has held the title of the most efficient jet in its category for the past 10 years, reinforcing its reputation among business jet buyers seeking lower operating costs and reduced emissions. In October 2024, the National Business Aviation Association awarded Honda Aircraft Company Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation, recognising measurable progress in sustainable operations and the responsible use of SAF.
This milestone demonstrates how sustainable aviation fuel, advanced aerodynamics and efficient HF120 engines can reduce lifecycle emissions in business aviation while maintaining performance, range and reliability. By proving 100% SAF capability in a very light jet, Honda helps accelerate broader SAF adoption across private aviation and supports industry goals for net-zero growth by mid-century.
