The planned debut of the Falcon 10X from Dassault Aviation (DAB, Paris Le Bourget) in 2027 remains on track with engineers currently stress testing the airframe's load and fatigue limits and Rolls-Royce wrapping up a successful Pearl 10X engine test campaign.
Speaking to ch-aviation at the recent Avalon Air Show outside Melbourne, Dassault Aviation Asia Pacific President Jean-Michel Jacob said the aircraft’s introduction would benefit business jet customers in Asia Pacific and elsewhere looking for an ultra-long-range aircraft.
Currently, the Falcon 8X is Dassault’s headline long-range business jet. However, the 10X will fly further. When in service, the 33.4-metre Falcon 10X will be able to fly up to 13,900 kilometres, including non-stop on city pairs such as Paris CDG-Santiago de Chile and Los Angeles International-Sydney Kingsford Smith. But production and certification is several years behind the original schedule, which Jacob attributes to supply chain challenges and COVID-19. “We expect it to fly for the first time this year and be certified in 2027,” he said.
Dassault says it is using its mechanical test bed for the load and fatigue limit stress tests. Rolls-Royce’s engine tests, now completed, used the same test bed. When certified, Jacob says the 10X will offer a solid alternative to long-range business jets manufactured by Bombardier Business Aircraft and Gulfstream Aerospace.
Dassault received 26 orders for its business jets in 2024 compared with 23 in 2023. Order value totalled EUR2.56 billion euros (USD2.8 billion) in 2024 versus EUR1.73 million (USD1.9 billion) in 2023. The company says the increased revenue was due to additional aircraft orders and a more favourable order mix.
Thirty-one Falcons were delivered in 2024, including the first Falcon 6X to Swiss-based Take Off Aviation AG. The delivery tally compared favourably with Dassault's guidance of 35, and 26 deliveries in 2023. As of December 31, 2024, the value of Dassault's delivery backlog was EUR43.2 billion (USD47.6 billion).
Jacob says that demand for business jets is outstripping the ability of manufacturers to supply them. From Dassault's perspective, "that's no bad thing."
He says demand for business jets in several countries in Asia Pacific, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Viet Nam, and Australia, is growing.
“Australia is a big market,” he said. “It’s orientated towards ultra-long-range aircraft able to fly to the United States nonstop. We are optimistic about selling many 10Xs.”
He added that Dassault Aviation is also improving its in-service aircraft, citing the new EASy IV avionics offered on the Falcon 7X and 8X.
