Building Shortcuts in the Skies of Japan: HondaJet Sharing Service Brings Aerial Mobility Closer

The HondaJet Sharing Service is a new mobility service that launched in June 2024 to extend the “Joy of freedom of mobility” to the skies.

Sachiko Fujimoto and Yuri Iguchi, who work in business development to make airplanes more accessible, talk about the satisfaction of creating a market and the joy of taking on the challenges of the unknown.

※The HondaJet sharing service is available only in Japan.

Aiming to be the Civic for the skies

Development of HondaJet, Honda’s light business jet, began in 1986 to fulfill the company’s original dream of providing the “Joy of Mobility” by land, sea, and air. Mass production began in 2015, and sales in Japan commenced in 2018.

In June 2024, Honda launched its HondaJet Sharing Service to make the HondaJet accessible to as many customers as possible. The charter service allows customers to travel by HondaJet between airports at their convenience.

Fujimoto: Airplanes are extremely expensive, so very few people can purchase one. However, HondaJet was developed with the passion of creating a Civic for the skies.

Like the Civic, which was named with the concept of becoming the basic car for people all over the world, Honda aimed to make HondaJet accessible to as many people as possible, and believes that new services are needed to achieve this, including ways to use HondaJet, leading to the sharing service.

Bringing the Joy of Mobility to as many people as possible is the desire of Fujimoto, the second leader of the business, and the first leader of the company.

Fujimoto: Both of us grew up in rural areas and experienced the inconvenience of travel in rural areas.

There are many rural areas that do not have direct flights, and we believe that more convenient access will lead to the movement of people and the revitalization of the economy.

In particular, bringing direct flights to rural regions will provide new possibilities for those who have given up on the idea of convenient travel, and will also lead to more efficient travel for business people. So, the concept of this service is to “create shortcuts in the skies” all over Japan.

Pioneering a market through mutual improvement

Fujimoto is currently the project leader, and with Iguchi are working to promote the business while collaborating with related group companies.

Iguchi: I am mainly responsible for budget management, but since I have not been involved in aircraft, and the business has never existed, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to fill the gap between our plans and reality. However, I feel that this is the fun part of being involved in a new business. I also enjoy gaining insights from customers and generating new ideas.

Fujimoto: Charter services are still a small market in Japan, and we cannot simply bring the U.S. and European business models to Japan, so we are still feeling our way in creating a new market. The best part is that we can challenge the unknown. I find it interesting that we are building a market together with our competitors, mutually improving each other rather than rivals, while maintaining organic ties with them.

Because of the hard work that goes into creating a market, Iguchi says she was deeply moved when the service was offered to customers for the first time.

Iguchi: We went to Chitose Airport together to greet the customer, and the moment they got off the plane, they said, “That was great!” I was really happy to hear their reaction.

Fujimoto: There was even one customer who offered the pilot a bouquet of flowers, thanking them for a “wonderful experience.” These instances make all our work worth the effort, and we realize that our service is developing well.

Progress or retreat, it all depends on our will

Fujimoto and Iguchi laugh, saying they enjoy the challenge of the unknown. Success, however, is not guaranteed in a new business venture. They say that the will of the leadership is vital in planning and commercializing a project.

Fujimoto: Solid decision-making is vital whether progressing or retreating. No one knows the right answer with a new business, so even if it doesn’t work out at first, it can be turned around by trying additional measures.

That is why it is important to be able to set your own goals. You’re always asked for your opinion. On the other hand, Honda allows us to take on challenges as long as we have the will, and I feel that we have an environment in which things move from the bottom up.

Decisiveness in how to work is just as important as developing a business. Iguchi, who works shortened hours while raising her children, continues:

Iguchi: As long as you express it, Honda respects your will, whether you want to achieve results within time constraints, or you want to pull back a bit and act in a supportive role. Situations vary between departments, but I feel that Honda respects the will of all employees equally.

Bringing the “Joy of Mobility” to as many as possible

Fujimoto and Iguchi, who have developed their careers through strong will, are now working hard to expand the HondaJet Sharing Service. Since the service is currently limited to corporate customers, they are eager to increase the number of customers.

Iguchi: Just as cars and motorcycles have become a means of mobility for many people, I would like to make HondaJet an easily accessible service. I have not yet had time to think about my career in the long term due to balancing work with childcare, so I would like to place emphasis on doing a good job on the tasks in front of me.

Fujimoto: In the future, I would like to expand the scope of our service to include the public, and build a service that can be used by the elderly and physically challenged.

Although I would personally like to experience creating a business from scratch at least once, I will work hard to deliver new values to customers by maximizing output in areas which I am good at, whether it is quarter- or half-way into growing the business.

Driven by their experiences and passion, Fujimoto and Iguchi continue to build shortcuts in the skies of Japan, to bring the “Joy of Mobility” to as many people as possible.

Original article published on October 15, 2024