Manufacturer Targets End of 2025 to Finish the Build, March 2026 to Go Airborne

Honda has outlined its clearest timeline yet for its entry into the world of electric vertical-lift, confirming that its first full-scale eVTOL prototype will be finished by the end of 2025. The inaugural flight is slated for March 2026, marking the company’s transition from years of under-the-radar development to a much more public testing phase.

The update came at the Dubai Airshow, where Honda’s eVTOL Vice President and Executive Chief Engineer Susumu Mashio said the appearance was thoughtfully timed after several years spent keeping the tech in “stealth mode”. During this period, Honda completed extensive work with a one-third-scale demonstrator in California, supporting aerodynamic research, control-law tuning, and wind-tunnel validation.

While the company originally showed an eVTOL concept with an elliptical cabin profile, the full-scale aircraft appears to be trending toward a more constant cross-section. Both the subscale demonstrator and the Dubai fuselage mock-up reflect that evolution. Mashio said the final configuration remains open as the team balances cabin comfort with aerodynamic efficiency and structural considerations. Supplier selections are also still in progress.

Once the full-scale prototype is assembled, Honda intends to begin remotely piloted flight testing in the United States around March 2026. Full FAA type certification remains a longer-range target, with Honda expecting entry into service in the early 2030s. Unlike many others in the eVTOL market, the company seems to be prioritizing operational value over rushing into production.

A key differentiator for Honda’s design is its hybrid-electric powertrain. The company concluded early that battery-only systems would not support the roughly 400-kilometer (249-mile) inter-city range it hopes to offer. The hybrid approach, however, introduces more complex certification work as no hybrid-electric eVTOL has yet been fully certified by the FAA.

FMI: https://global.honda