Since the Dassault Falcon 6X entered service on November 30, the company's demo aircraft has been busy touring the world. By the end of April, Falcon 6X S/N 004—registered as F-WSUP—had logged approximately 500 flight hours and operated close to 300 flights across Europe, North and South America, and Asia-Pacific.
The widebody business jet flew in the U.S. and Brazil earlier this month and is being showcased this week at EBACE 2024 alongside a Falcon 8X and a mock-up of the in-development Falcon 10X.
“The 6X has been flying a lot and the client feedback is just great, like with all our aircraft,” Carlos Brana, executive v-p of civil aircraft for Dassault Aviation, told AIN in an interview ahead of EBACE.
“Comments from pilots and passengers are very positive,” he continued. “They love how the 6X feels, stable and steady, and its power at takeoff. They laud how quiet the cabin is, its extra-large windows, and the overall comfort, also thanks to the cabin altitude pressurization, which is maintained at a very comfortable 3,950 feet when cruising at 41,000 feet.”
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812D-powered 6X was launched in February 2018 and received dual EASA and FAA certification in August last year. On top of this, the new Falcon model obtained approval from the aviation authorities of Turkey, the Isle of Man, and San Marino, while the certification process is ongoing in Canada, India, and the UK.
The French OEM is also still working on obtaining additional product approvals for steep approach, its FalconEye combined vision system (CVS), and others. Brana stressed that these are just a matter of time and “up to 99% of the missions can already now be performed with the aircraft as it is.”
Meanwhile, the pace of Falcon sales is “not as fast as we would like,” Brana said. Dassault booked orders for 23 business aircraft in 2023, down from 64 the year before. Demand for new Falcons remained sluggish in the first quarter and across all regions, according to Brana.
“The beginning of the year is traditionally slow, slower than the rest of the year. We are expecting an improvement later in the year. The economy is doing better and inflation is going down as well,” he remarked. Brana added that the fact that the 6X is now flying and that potential customers can test the new long-range business jet should contribute to an increase in sales.
Dassault Aviation’s guidance for 2024 calls for the delivery of 35 Falcons, up from 26 last year. In line with the company policy of not releasing figures by model, Brana said he “could not comment” on how many 6Xs the OEM will deliver this year. The handover of S/N 005 (HB-JTO) took place on February 21, to Swiss charter operator CAT Aviation in Zurich.
Commitment to Net-zero
In 2023, Dassault Aviation operated 413 Falcon flights using 30% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blends, compared with 179 in 2022. The airframer is working to have its new Falcon 10X ultra-long-range twinjet compatible for 100% SAF use from entry into service (scheduled for 2027) and targets 100% SAF compatibility for all its in-production Falcons by 2030.
“Dassault’s ambition is very clear: we are committed to net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, and we are convinced this goal is reachable if all players—and this includes regulators and fuel companies—play their part,” said Brana. He calls on European authorities to follow the U.S. and incentivize the production of SAF.
As part of its decarbonization drive, Dassault is actively involved in the European Clean Aviation initiative and France’s Civil Aviation Research Council (Corac). One Corac research project it is involved in centers on finding a green alternative for fossil aromatics. Aromatic hydrocarbons are essential in aviation fuels because they neither thicken nor freeze at cold altitudes and also ensure the plastic seals between various components in the aircraft’s fuel system do not dry out.
“These aromatics are a component of fossil fuel and do not exist in SAF unless you add them,” explained Brana. They are considered a source of pollution, “so we need to find a sustainable alternative,” he explained.
“Besides a strong focus on SAF, we work on cutting fuel consumption,” Brana added, citing the use of lighter materials, the company’s FalconWays flight path optimization tool—delivering proven reductions in fuel consumption of up to 7%—and its FalconEye CVS.
Brana does not see hydrogen as a solution to power business aviation aircraft in the near term. Airbus, which owns a 10.48% stake in Dassault Aviation, has been very vocal that it wants to bring to market the world's first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035.
“We looked at it, but we do not believe this is something that can be easily adapted to business aviation, in particular if you want passengers traveling in a reasonable style,” he noted. “None of the companies working in the same industry as us—Bombardier, Cessna, or Gulfstream—are seriously looking at this technology.”