Dassault Tallies 18 Net Falcon Orders in First Half

The business jet market continues to improve as preowned inventory shrinks and demand for new aircraft recovers in North America and the Asia-Pacific region, Dassault Aviation CEO and president Eric Trappier said recently during a press conference at its facilities in Saint-Cloud, Paris. Trappier added, however, that prices for second-hand aircraft remain low and that competition for new aircraft sales remains “very tough.”

At the event, Trappier outlined the French manufacturer's results during the first half of 2018, when it logged orders for 18 Falcons, compared with 14 in the year-ago period. This is a net total, after cancellations for the 5X, the program that Dassault pulled due to problems with the aircraft's Safran Silvercrest engine. Trappier declined to provide a breakdown of his company's 2018 orders but told BJT sister publication Aviation International News that some 5X customers shifted their orders to the new 6X or existing Falcon models like the 7X, while others simply canceled. Some orders are new 6X sales, he said.

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Dassault Unveils Falcon 6X

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Dassault delivered 15 Falcon jets to customers in the first half, two fewer than a year ago, though it still plans to deliver 40 Falcons in 2018, as it estimated earlier this year. Falcon backlog stood at 55 aircraft on June 30, worth €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion), compared with 52 at the end of 2017 when the figure still included 5X orders.