We Are Looking To Produce The Falcon 2000 Business Jet From The Nagpur Facility

After the successes of the Falcon 7X and 8X, there seems to be no looking back for Dassault Aviation. The new Falcon jet programme holds a lot of promises for the company, says Vadim Feldzer, Head of Global Communications, Dassault Falcon.

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Is the business aviation market showing signs of recovery?

Overall the market has been improving but remains fragile. However, we have witnessed a gradual improvement in the market for business jets. The most tangible sign to us, that things have been improving is in the pre-owned market. Last year in July, we had an inventory of 30 aircraft, today we are literally left with no more pre-owned aircraft on sale. This, indeed, has been a very encouraging sign for us, as it shows that the market is recovering. It is almost impossible to find a recent model Falcon aircrafts, such as the 7X or a recent 2000 EX or 900 LX airplane in the pre-owned market. It has become difficult to find a pre-owned aircraft and prices have been on the higher side, so we have started meeting customers who are not finding pre-owned aircraft and are in discussion with them on buying a new jet.

I saw a positive sign in the American business jet market since last year, which has been much more active this year. Along with this, Falcon 2000 and 900 LX has been succeeding in the last couple of months. Northern Europe markets such as Scandinavia, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, which has one of the strongest business jet markets in Europe has also done well. In India, Dassault has been enjoying the highest market share at the top of the business jet segment. Though the market has been quiet in the last couple of years, we have sold some pre-owned Falcon 2000s and are pleased with that, but are expecting more.