Dassault Aviation will showcase its Falcon 8X flagship and super versatile Falcon 900LX trijets at this year’s Russian Business Aviation Exhibition (RUBAE), which opens on September 11 at the Vnukovo-3 business aviation complex near Moscow.
Dassault will also be exhibiting a full-scale mockup of its new Falcon 6X ultra-widebody twinjet which is on track for certification and initial deliveries in 2022. The 1,98 m (6 ft 6 in) high, 2,58 m (8 ft 6 in) wide, 5,500 nm (10,186 km) 6X will be the most spacious, modern and versatile twin in its class and will draw on many of the advanced features of the 8X, including an ultra-quiet cabin and unrivalled airport capabilities.
“The enhanced safety and robustness, ETOPS-free operation and unparalleled short-field capabilities offered by our large-body trijets are proven advantages that are highly appreciated in Russia and neighboring countries,” said Gilles Gautier, Vice President, Falcon Sales for Dassault Aviation. “We also anticipate a warm reception among Russian customers for our new Falcon 6X, which will feature the highest and widest cabin in the industry.”
Russian operators showing strong interest in Falcon 8X
Russia and the surrounding region are emerging as one of the strongest markets for the ultra-long-range Falcon 8X. The 6,450 nm (11,945 km) trijet can fly from Moscow to Los Angeles, Cape Town, Darwin or Rio de Janeiro nonstop and land at restricted airports such as Gstaad and Lugano in Switzerland and Saint-Tropez La Mole in France — short fields that are typically inaccessible to other large business jets. The 8X also has the unique flexibility of its predecessor, the Falcon 7X trijet, a long time best seller that remains in high demand in the Russian market.
The Falcon 8X features a cabin 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) high, 2.34 m (7 ft 8 in) wide and 13 m (42 ft 8 in) long and offers customers one of the most innovative selection of cabin layouts on the market, including a shower option and a large forward VIP lounge with a certified crew rest area for very long flights.
The 8X’s industry-leading Digital Flight Control System offers exceptionally smooth flying comfort and the aircraft is the quietest of any business jet.
The Falcon 900LX, on show at Vnukovo, features a redesigned cabin, optimized sound proofing and the latest cabin entertainment systems. The new features are designed to permit the 900LX to remain the industry benchmark for reliability, versatility and fuel economy in the 4,750 nm (8,800 km) segment for years to come.
Both the 8X and the Falcon 900LX are available with the latest state-of-the-art options, including Dassault’s new FalconConnect inflight high-speed connectivity service and its revolutionary FalconEye Combined Vision System, the first head-up display in the industry to combine synthetic and enhanced vision capabilities.
In addition to ensuring superior situational awareness in all operating conditions, day and night, FalconEye makes it possible to reduce landing minimums in low-visibility landing conditions, providing a substantial operational benefit. Falcon 8X, 900LX and 2000LXS aircraft equipped with FalconEye were recently approved for low-visibility approaches with 100 foot minimums —an industry first.
Dassault Voted Number One in Customer Support
Dassault’s investment in product development has been accompanied this year by a surge of investment in product support aimed at expanding its factory owned maintenance, repair and overhaul network and ensuring worldwide spare parts availability. The company recently purchased the MRO activities of ExecuJet, TAG Aviation and RUAG and opened a new state-of-the-art spares distribution center near Charles de Gaulle Airport that will boost parts service in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
These and other ongoing efforts and investments were recently recognized by two customer surveys conducted by Professional Pilot and Aviation International News (AIN), whose readers voted Dassault Aviation the top service provider in the business jet sector for 2019. It is the first time Dassault has finished first in each of these leading surveys. Operators cited spares availability, cost of parts and speed of AOG service as the major motivating factors behind their decision.
Dassault has also significantly reinforced and expanded the regional service network serving Russia and the CIS. Recent moves include setting up a new stock of spare parts at Vnukovo-3, near the Dassault Falcon Service satellite service center. The company’s comprehensive suite of AOG services, FalconResponse, is proving an additional boon to customers in Russia. Operators from the region benefit from Falcon Airborne Support missions flown in a Falcon 900 that can handle AOG situations and, if necessary, provide alternative lift — another industry first.
