Dassault Aviation to Present New Falcon 8X at Indian Airshow

Dassault Aviation will present its Falcon fleet of large cabin, long range business jets alongside its Rafale fighter jet at Aero India, India’s largest airshow.

The eleventh edition of this leading event will open on February 14th at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangalore. The Dassault display will feature the ultra-long range Falcon 8X trijet, as well as the Falcon 2000LXS twin.

Dassault Aviation’s new flagship, which entered the market in October, was handed over to an Indian customer last month.

The 6,450 nm/11,945 km Falcon 8X is the most comfortable, versatile and economical business jet in its class. It features the longest range of any Falcon and a choice of cabin configurations unmatched in its segment. Its state of the art flight controls and advanced flight deck systems are inherited from the very long range Falcon 7X. Cabin noise levels are even lower than those on the 7X, currently the industry benchmark.

The 8X will be available with Dassault’s revolutionary new 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 conditions of operation, day and night, FalconEye will make it possible to reduce minima in low visibility landing conditions, providing a substantial operational benefit.

The 4,000 nm/7,410 km Falcon 2000LXS offers a short-field capability comparable to smaller midsize business jet models but with a range and comfort level far better than those aircraft. Equipped with a next-generation EASy II flight deck and the FalconCabin HD+ cabin management system, the 2000LXS offers a combination of airport performance, cabin design and efficiency unique in its class. It is also available with the FalconEye Combined Vision System.

More than a dozen Falcon 2000 twins are currently in service in India.

Indian Market Leader

Dassault is a market leader in the Indian large cabin, long range aircraft segment, with more than 20 aircraft currently in service. Falcons are known for their versatility and their ability to fly into challenging hot-and-high airfields like those commonly found in and around India. They are widely recognized for their fuel economy and low operating costs, too. 

The company also benefits from more than 50 years’ experience with the Indian Air Force (IAF), which has long appreciated the sturdy, technologically advanced Dassault fighters for its combat aircraft requirements. Last year the IAF renewed its trust in Dassault Aviation with an order for 36 Rafale fighters.

Most Indian Falcon orders are for longer range models like the 8X and 7X, which are capable of flying non-stop to London City Airport from anywhere in India. 

“With India now emerging as one of the world’s fastest growing economies, we expect demand for our high end jets to begin rising again,” remarked Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO, Dassault Aviation. “We are very bullish about our long term prospects in this market, particularly for the new Falcon 8X, the most technologically advanced large business jet in business aviation.” 

In anticipation of the expected market rebound, Dassault Aviation has been reinforcing its regional support presence. The company offers standard maintenance service at two Authorized Service Centers in Mumbai - one operated by Taj Air, for the Falcon 2000 series, and the other, by Air Works India, for the Falcon 900EX/LX line.

The regional network includes a $5 million spare parts inventory in Mumbai backed up by offshore warehouses in Dubai, Singapore and Paris. 

Customers in the region also benefit from Falcon Response, Dassault’s comprehensive new AOG support service offering. This service is designed to whisk spare parts, repair tools and Go Team specialists 24/7 around the globe in the event of an aircraft on ground situation and is supported by a pair of Falcon 900 aircraft. The aircraft can also be used for alternative lift - an industry first.