Dassault Aviation, manufacturers of the Falcon line of large business jets, reported that it received orders for 115 airplanes in 2008, and delivered 72. According to Dassault Chairman and CEO Charles Edelstenne, the company had sales worth 3.75 billion euros in 2008, with 62 percent of that represented by business jet sales. As for 2009, deliveries are expected to increase to 90 airplanes. But the production of “green,” uncompleted airplanes is expected to be reduced.
“We began to see a slowing in demand in late 2007,” said Dassault Falcon Jet’s president and CEO John Rosanvallon, “but the level of activity remained strong through the first three quarters of 2008. The fourth quarter of 2008 was challenging with rising pre-owned inventories and a significant contraction of available credit.”
Dassault emphasized that 2009 will be a time for expansion of company-owned service centers. In addition, Dassault’s new Falcon 2000LX should be certified soon, Edelstenne said, and EASy Phase II avionics enhancements—which includes synthetic vision technology—will be offered as an option in all new Falcon 900EX EASy and Falcon 900DXs by the last quarter of 2009. EASy II will be offered on Falcons 7X, 2000LX, and 2000DX airplanes in mid-2010. EASy II will also be available as a retrofit in earlier EASy-equipped models.
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