Honda Aircraft’s HondaJet Elite II has received certification from the FAA for Emergency Autoland (EAL), the company announced Wednesday.
The airplane is the first production model twin-turbine very light business jet certified to use the technology, Honda Aircraft officials said.
“Adding Emergency Autoland to the HondaJet Elite II demonstrates our commitment to delivering new value to our customers,” Honda Aircraft president and CEO Hideto Yamasaki said in a news release. “I’m proud that our team is fulfilling this promise by offering Emergency Autoland and giving our HondaJet Elite II customers greater peace of mind during every flight.”
Honda Aircraft said it is pursuing certifications from regulators in other markets to make EAL available to international customers.
Emergency Autoland is designed to enable an aircraft to land autonomously in an emergency situation. It can be activated by pushing a button or by an automatic monitoring system that senses when a pilot is no longer responsive.