A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Volato, a private aviation company that uses the HondaJet to be its flagship aircraft, is Volato.
Wealthy flyers have the option to purchase an ownership stake and pay an hourly rate $3,200 plus fuel.
The HondaJet is not used enough in the US, but it offers an impressively spacious cabin and a range of almost 1,500 nautical miles.
Americans don't think about private jets when they hear the name Honda. One company wants to change this.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Volato, a fractional-ownership company, is looking to compete with NetJets or Flexjet by offering private pilots a luxury compromise entry-level jet offering with HondaJet.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Honda's plane division has not been as popular in America as its cars. Volato claims that the HondaJet's features and capabilities make it ideal for flights with four people. Private flyers are often on planes with more passengers than they need.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Insider was told by Matt Liotta (chief executive officer of Volato) that Volato has a new approach to private aviation. He specifically focuses on the best way to handle four-passenger missions or less.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Insider was able to fly a HondaJet on a demonstration flight with Volato. Here's how it went.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
The HondaJet was first introduced in 2014. It has a distinctive look that distinguishes it from its competitors. Its engines attach directly to the wings, rather than to the fuselage.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Honda has created a very capable light jet aircraft, despite its appearances. For example, the HondaJet Elite has an extended range of 1,437 nautical mile, making it possible to access more than half of Lower 48 from New York via a non-stop flight.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Source: Honda Aircraft Company
The wing-mounted GE Honda Aero Engines HF120 turbofan engine allows for a top true speed of 422 knots, and a maximum altitude of 43,000ft.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Source: Honda Aircraft Company
Volato's HondaJets can only hold four passengers inside, despite having six passengers maximum in the passenger compartment.
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A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
The four leather club seats can recline or swivel and offer plenty of legroom due to the low density configuration.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
The tables extend from the cabin sidewalls and each seat has access to them. Because there is more space between the seats, the tables are also larger.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
For smaller items such as laptops and devices, storage compartments can be found in the sidewall.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Volato chose to have an additional seat in the cabin and instead opted for a galley service with a coffeemaker, ice bin and snack draw.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Liotta stated that HondaJet is the largest taker of HondaJet's galleys, and added that snacks have been curated to go beyond the standard offerings.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
A small tray table is located opposite the galley, and it connects to the boarding doors. This allows you to store beverages or other items.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
The HondaJet can accommodate up to six passengers if necessary. In one of our demonstration flights, a passenger was seated in the co-pilot's seat while another was seated in the lavatory cushioned seat.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
For a private experience, the lavatory can be separated from the cabin by using pocket doors.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Some light jets do not have a separate lavatory. There is a standard toilet and a sink inside.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Rival companies have chosen smaller jets such as the single-engine CirrusVision Jet. Liotta claims that the HondaJet allows jet-sets to have an extremely capable aircraft with all the bells, whistles, and for a modest cost.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Liotta stated that while we don't believe we should compete on price, but we are here to offer service and think that we provide best value in this industry.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Liotta stated that Volato would be open to working with other operators for missions that require more seats than four. Another option is to send two HondaJets with eight seats each, for a specific mission.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Volato believes that private flyers who fly regularly with four passengers will be more likely to see the HondaJet's value. Liotta stated that it makes more sense to them to have the HondaJet offering for most of their needs as opposed to a jet that does well for a few but not many.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Private flyers can purchase a fractional ownership company stake, which offers tax and usage benefits. The aircraft is used at a fixed price plus fuel costs. Owners then make revenue when the plane is chartered to customers on-demand.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Owners pay a $3,200 hourly fee to access flight time. There are no taxi fees or charges. Fuel fees and taxes are passed on directly with no markup by Volato. The hourly rate will be the same regardless of ownership stake, but owners with a greater share will get a higher revenue share starting when the aircraft is chartered.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Liotta stated that Volato is not restricted by share size. This is what sets Volato apart from its competitors. Your share size is what determines the cost of your usages. Therefore, if you purchase more shares than you use, we charter the jet for you and give you a revenue share.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Volato estimates that charter revenue hours will be 800 for owners. Although Liotta can't promise that owners will see this number of revenue hours, she believes it to be an accurate estimate based on the average number charter flight hours that a HondaJet has.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Liotta calls it "usage from ownership", where charter owners who have a larger stake in the aircraft receive more of the charter even though they don't fly as often.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Liotta believes that the HondaJet ownership model can be somewhat protected from recession, in case of an economic downturn in the US. Liotta stated that when recessions occur, the smaller the jet is the better off than the larger jet.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
After the brief tour, we got into the aircraft and flew around Long Island in a demonstration flight. We were soon on our way to Long Island in no time at all, with just a few minutes between startup and taxi out.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
The cabin was extremely quiet when the engines were detached from the fuselage. To demonstrate how the system works without the need to compete with loud engines, Liotta turned on Bongiovi Acoustics' sound system.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
We were in the air within minutes, only one pilot being at the controls. Volato flights can be flown with two pilots, but the jet requires only one pilot.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
The flight was extremely smooth, and the HondaJet handled Long Island's skies very well, despite being small. Even with three adults in the cabin there was plenty of space to maneuver.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
The panels at each seat allow passengers to control various aspects of the plane, including the temperature and volume of the sound system.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Volato plans to convert its HondaJet Elites into the HondaJet Elite S models. This requires a software update to allow the aircraft to lift more weight and to modify the nose-wheel steering system so that pilots can better maneuver the aircraft.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Volato would be able to carry extra fuel if the plane was fully loaded with passengers and bags. The HondaJet's baggage hold can hold 380 pounds of luggage.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Volato plans to upgrade to the HondaJet elite S to provide the most luxurious and well-equipped HondaJet available, while still offering a lower price than larger aircrafts with similar, or even fewer amenities.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Liotta stated that the HondaJet offers the same high-end experience as larger planes operated by bigger operators but at a significantly lower cost.
A Volato HondaJet Elite. Thomas Pallini/Insider
Business Insider has the original article.
