Summary
- Dassault Aviation delivered 26 Falcon aircraft in 2023, below the planned 35 and a decrease from the previous year.
- Supply chain issues, certification delays, and missing parts led to the postponement of the Falcon 10X program.
- To improve production efficiency, the manufacturer will focus on new corrective measures, including partnerships and a new production line.
On March 6th, 2024, Eric Trappier, the chairman and CEO ofDassault Aviation, announced the 2023 annual results at a press conference and explained why the Falcon 10X program had been delayed. Let’s take a further look at the figures and see what developments might occur for theaircraftmanufacturer.
Aircraft deliveries
To summarize Dassault’s annual results for 2023:
- In 2023, 26 Falcon aircraft were delivered.
- In the previous year, 32 Falcon aircraft were delivered.
- The planned number of aircraft for 2023 was 35.
- The aircraft manufacturer experienced a dip in business jet sales in 2023.
- In 2023, sales of the Falcon business jets were worth $1.98 billion, down on the previous year’s $2.2 billion.
Issues with supply chains
Since the pandemic, supply chain issues have been disrupted, severely impacting subcontractors in the aviation industry. Product quality suffered, and Dassault was unable to meet the deadlines set for Falcon business jets. They found that suppliers had weaknesses and there were capacity shortages in aerostructures.
Photo: Dassault Aviation
Missing components and parts delayed the final assembly of the Falcon business jets. The supply chain issues and flow of aerostructures from their European supply base had become a ‘bottleneck,’ delaying production further. Some companies were ‘late,’ forcing the manufacturer to postpone plans and change their plans. Contributing to chain supply issues were the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Certification issues
The late-running certification process of the Falcon 6X business jet forced the company to slow down the original ramp-up of the aircraft. It was finally approved in August of last year but added to the delay, and there was a reduction in the capacity of the number of aircraft expected to be manufactured.
Dassault Aviation tried to catch up with the completion process but could not meet the demand. One of their suppliers GKN put the manufacturer in difficulty with the production of the Falcon 6X, due to the subcontractor being far away from France and was non-performing,according to an article at FlightGlobal.
It is clear that the late-running Falcon 6X would have a knock-on effect on the manufacturing schedule for the Falcon 10X. Therefore, the best option was to postpone it. The first Falcon 6X demonstration aircraft was delivered last November, and it has already completed over 200 flights worldwide to date. The first Falcon 6X customer aircraft was handed over to a European business aviation operator in February this year.
A change of plan
In response to all the issues, Dassault Aviation delayed production of the Falcon 10X from late 2025 to 2027 and focused on a new corrective measures plan. Assembly of the first development aircraft of the Falcon 10X is expected to take place this year. The new plan provides support to subcontractors, and new suppliers would support existing ones. A new production line will be built in France to speed up the manufacture of the aircraft.
Photo: Dassault Aviation
Performance
|
Title |
Value |
|---|---|
|
Range @ Mach .85(8 pax, 4 crew, NBAA IFR Reserves) |
7,500 nm / 13,890 km |
|
MMO(Maximum Mach Operating) |
Mach .925 |
|
Max. Certified Altitude |
51,000 ft / 15,545 m |
|
Takeoff Distance(MTOW, SL, ISA) |
< 6,000 ft / 1,829 m |
|
Landing Distance(8 pax, 4 crew, NBAA IFR Reserves) |
< 2,500 ft / 762 m |
Engines & avionics
|
Title |
Value |
|---|---|
|
Type |
2 Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X Engines |
|
SL-ISA Thrust |
>18,000 lb / >80.1 kN |
|
Cockpit |
Next Generation NeXus Flight Deck (with Honeywell Primus Epic System) |
Photo: Dassault Aviation
The manufacturer also further developed the ‘Make in India’ program, enabling aircraft components and parts to be manufactured in the region. They partnered with Reliant Aerospace to create Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) for the project. It also means that less labor costs are incurred, and a better infrastructure for the developing region is created.
About the aircraft
The Falcon 10X was originally scheduled for 2025, but the schedule has been adjusted, and the first deliveries are aimed to take place in 2027. The Falcon 10X is the largest long-range Falcon aircraft and is a direct competitor to the Bombardier Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G700. The first development aircraft is currently being built.
Photo: Dassault Aviation
The Falcon 10X is powered by Rolls-Royce 10X turbofan engines that produce 18,000 lb of thrustand help the aircraft reach speeds of Mach 0.925. Its cabin is larger than any other business jet in service at the time of writing. The Falcon 10X is a long-range aircraft capable of traveling between Los Angeles and Sydney or New York and Shanghai without stopping.
Future focus
Dassault is targeting the Asia-Pacific market and plans to expand its presence in the region. The region is a growing market in the business aviation sector. They are also focused on developing the market for the Falcon 6X aircraft, although the backlog for the aircraft will extend through to 2025.
Added to the 35 Falcon business jets they plan to produce in 2024, 30 Rafale fighter jets are under production. These are expected to generate a group revenue of around $6.4 Billion. In 2023, the total revenue was $4.6 Billion, with an adjusted operating income of $3.76 million.
