Aurora Airport will house HondaJet showroom
If you ever find yourself in the market for a compact jet that seats up to seven and boasts a top cruise speed of 420 knots at 41,000 feet, you may be able to purchase one in a couple years at the Aurora Airport.
HondaJet Midwest, which is owned by Des Moines Flying Service, plans to open a 5,000 square-foot showroom and a service hangar at the Aurora Airport in July 2010.
The twin engine aircraft, billed as a "light jet," is currently being developed in North Carolina.
The Aurora Airport center will be one of only five HondaJet dealerships in North America. HondaJet Midwest, based in Des Moines, Iowa, operates through an agreement with Honda Aircraft Co., which is owned by Honda Motors.
The Aurora Airport dealership will serve 12 Midwestern states.
"The sales salon will have an IMAX Theater, a customer conference room and a pilot's lounge," said John Lowe, president of HondaJet Midwest.
Lowe says his customers are generally small to mid-size companies, many of which already operate at least one aircraft.
Lowe calls the HondaJet design "truly revolutionary."
"This airplane will be extremely fuel efficient and fast," he said. "It burns just a fraction of the fuel used by other aircraft of its kind. It's built for speed and efficiency."
Lowe said that Aurora Airport was selected over the DuPage Airport and over airports in Waukegan, Kenosha, Wis., and in Gary, Ind., because of the facility's available space and high visibility. The airport can be accessed from Route 30 and is just minutes away from the Sugar Grove police and fire departments.
The HondaJet hangar will be 140 feet wide by 120 feet deep.
"It's fantastic," says Perry Clark of the HondaJet plans. He is director of the Economic Development Corp. of Sugar Grove.
"The dealership will be a jewel for the Aurora Airport and for Sugar Grove," he added. "These jets start at $4 million. The people buying them won't be just coming in and out. It will be more like a two- or three-day stop, they will be shopping and dining. This can create a buzz.
"If we can meet with the corporate executives coming to the dealership and talk with them, it may open up a lot more opportunities. It can also attract more business for the airport."
Des Moines Flying Service is also a Piper Aircraft dealer, and the company will also open a Chicago Piper service hangar, as well as an office for sales and administrative staff, at the Aurora Airport.
Clark also said J.A. Air will relocate operations to the Aurora Airport from the DuPage Airport in West Chicago by the end of 2009 or early 2010. It employs about 100 staff.