Honda has announced plans to enter the innovative HondaJet in the expanding ‘very light jet’ market, with the sales order process expected to begin in America later this year.

Making the announcement at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2006 – the world’s largest annual aviation gathering – Honda also revealed plans to form a business alliance with Piper Aircraft, Inc. to collaborate on sales and service.

Honda and Piper will provide a new level of sales and service to meet the needs of jet customers with the goal of setting a higher standard for the quality of the ownership experience. No specific details regarding additional collaboration were announced.

“Aviation has been an important dream of Honda for more than four decades,” said Satoshi Toshida, senior managing director of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. “Our goal is consistent with the philosophy of other Honda products – to provide convenient and efficient transportation that will make people’s lives better. We are excited now to enter a new dimension of mobility.”

HondaJet features several innovations that help it achieve far better fuel efficiency, larger cabin and luggage space and higher cruise speed than conventional aircraft in its class. The result of 20 years of aviation research, key HondaJet innovations include a patented over-the-wing engine-mount configuration, a natural-laminar flow (NLF) wing and fuselage nose, and an advanced all-composite fuselage structure.