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GREENSBORO – Honda Aircraft Co. has canceled a media tour set for Tuesday of its new manufacturing plant in Greensboro out of respect for the earthquake-tsunami disaster in Japan.

Jeffrey Smith, a spokesman for American Honda Motor Co., said, “several Japanese associates in Greensboro have family in Japan. In terms of direct impact there was one Honda Aircraft Co. associate in Japan on a business trip and he has been accounted for and is safe.”

Still, some Greensboro employees are concerned about family members in Japan because communications equipment is down and the government has asked for people to keep lines clear for essential information.

“Communications between the United States and Japan is somewhat sketchy,” Smith said, “so information is hard to get.”

The company said its U.S. operations, including automobile manufacturing, will continue as normal.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd reported that production in several plants in Japan will be suspended at least through this week.

They include a transmission and chassis parts plant; plants that produce the CR-V, Accord, U.S. Fit, Acura RL and TSX.

Honda said it will suspend regular operations at all Honda plants in the Tochigi area, hit hardest by the disaster, and spend time on the recovery of each operation

The company plans to contribute:

300 million yen (approximately $3.7 million) toward the relief and recovery effort.

A total of 1,000 generators (gasoline-powered and home-use gas canister-powered), along with 5,000 gas canisters. Honda will provide staff to explain the use of this equipment.

Honda said it is cooperating with electricity conservation efforts and rolling blackout measures, prioritizing the relief and recovery of affected areas.

More than 80 percent of Honda’s products sold in the U.S. are made in North America.

Contact Richard M. Barron at 373-7371 or richard.barron@news-record.com