LIGHT BUSINESS jet manufacturer Honda Aircraft Company has signed an order for 15 HondaJet Elite Ss with Volato, a fractional aircraft provider based in Atlanta, Georgia. The order was revealed at the start of January and will increase the company's fleet of HondaJets to 22. The firm began operations last year with a single four-seat HondaJet Elite S, modified with a galley and lavatory, before quickly acquiring four additional aircraft. Volato uses the aircraft to service its fractional shares programme, which offers customers shares in the aircraft, ranging from 1/16th to full ownership. The latest order was placed to enable the company to keep pace with its increasing customer base, having sold most of the capacity on the aircraft due to be delivered this first quarter. It also operates a by-the-hour charter service for non-owners. Meanwhile, Honda announced it had delivered the 200th example of its HondaJet on December 15. The manufacturer delivered the initial aircraft two days before Christmas 2015. Honda has produced the light bizjet to three standards, with the original HondaJet giving way to the HondaJet Elite in May 2018, while the Elite S was introduced in May 2021. Earlier aircraft can be upgraded with many of the features of the Elite model via the Advanced Performance Modification Group (APMG) retrofit, including longer range, a slight increase in maximum take-off weight and reduction in take-off run, plus avionics enhancements. APMG does not include the additional fuel tank or engine inlet acoustic improvements, however. The Elite S further increased maximum take-off weight, by 200lb, and added new avionics to reduce pilot workload and expand operational capability.
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