April 13, 2018 (Shanghai, China): This year, Dassault Aviation will showcase the Falcon 8X -- the newest business jet in the ultra-long range class – at the 2018 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE). The exhibit, which opens on April 17 at the Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Center, will also feature the popular 5,950 nm/11,020 km Falcon 7X.
The first Chinese-operated Falcon 8X was handed over in late 2017 and the big trijet is now in operation in key markets around the world, including the United States, Europe, the Middle East and India as well as China. Moreover, delivery ramp-up has been remarkably smooth, thanks largely to the high level of maturity of the aircraft’s on-board systems.
The successful introduction of the Falcon 8X comes as Dassault is embarking on development of a new ultra widebody twinjet, the Falcon 6X, that will revolutionize the 5,000 nm segment. Unveiled on February 28, the 6X will be the most modern, spacious and versatile twin in its class and will draw on many of the advanced features of the 8X, including its ultra-quiet cabin and unrivalled airport performance.
“Thanks to growing support from the central government, China’s business aviation sector appears headed for a period of solid growth,” said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “And with a rapidly expanding lineup of high end models, led by the Falcon 8X and now the 6X, Dassault expects to benefit significantly from this growth.”
With eight passengers and three crew members, the Falcon 8X is capable of connecting Beijing with New York, Hong Kong with London and Shanghai with Los Angeles, yet can land at hard-to-access airfields like London City Airport that are off limits to most big business jets. In addition to the quietest cabin in business aviation, it offers an industry-leading digital flight control system and is available with a wide range of state-of-the-art options, including high speed Ka-band connectivity and its revolutionary FalconEye Combined Vision System.
The first head-up display in the industry to combine synthetic and enhanced vision capabilities, FalconEye ensures superior situational awareness in all conditions of operation, day and night. FalconEye will eventually allow reducing minima in low visibility landing conditions, providing a substantial operational benefit as well.
With close to 40 aircraft in service, including 20 delivered in the last 5 years, China has become the second largest market, after the United States, for the Falcon 7X. The 5,950 nm/11,020 km 7X can connect Shanghai directly with destinations throughout the Asia Pacific region as well as most of Europe and the Western United States.
Featuring advanced systems derived largely from military aircraft and an ultra-quiet, roomy interior that allows passengers to disembark fresh and relaxed after a 13 hour flight, the 7X offers exceptional operating economy and versatility, including the ability to serve confined, elevated and hot airfields that are typically inaccessible to large jets.
Customer Service Activities Continue Expansion
Dassault continues adding to local spare parts inventory and reinforcing its regional customer support network. Last year, the Falcon customer service headquarters in Beijing moved into a large new office that will facilitate local support services. The company operates an Authorized Service Center at Beijing Capital Airport that provides line and unscheduled maintenance for Chinese registered Falcon 7Xs.
Another Falcon Authorized service Center located at Shanghai offers a full range of MRO services, from A and B checks through heavy maintenance for all current production Falcon models registered in China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Isle of Man, Bermuda, the U.S. and the Cayman Islands.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to provide the best product support on the market,” said Jacques Chauvet, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Customer Service. “Whether it be improving or expanding support infrastructure or offering new support services, our aim is to maximize the value of Falcon aircraft and optimize customers ‘experience.”
Maintaining a large Falcon spares inventory in China of worth over 30 Million USD facilitates customer component exchange transactions, allowing significant time savings and sharply reducing duties and taxes. Combined with other spares depots in the Asia Pacific, this inventory allows operators to immediately access the top 3,000 high demand parts for in-production aircraft. This spares commitment has been accompanied by efforts to expand tooling inventory made available to Falcon operators through a rental pool.
ABACE to Include Falcon Customer Service Seminar
Dassault Falcon will again hold a Falcon Maintenance seminar in conjunction with ABACE. The seminar will focus on technical issues of concern to Chinese customers and will aim to help aircraft operators improve the efficiency, reliability and safety of their operations. Topics will range from the latest customer service and engineering support initiatives to enhancements in troubleshooting and product reliability.
