Dassault Aviation delivered 12 Falcons in the first half, up from nine in the first six months of last year, and took in net orders for 11, one fewer than a year ago, the company said today. It reported total revenues of €2.538 billion in the first half versus €2.295 billion in the same period last year, with its Falcon business jet unit accounting for €980 million, up from €827 million in first-half 2023. Dassault's defense business—largely Rafale fighter deliveries—accounted for the majority of revenues, at €1.558 billion.
Falcon backlog grew by about €110 million, to €4.758 billion, in the first six months, covering 83 Falcons, down one unit since the end of last year.
Meanwhile, Dassault is keeping its sights on supply chain delays and a shifting global political landscape, including elections in the U.S. and France and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The global context in this first half-year remains marked by the war in Ukraine and the state of war in the Middle East. In France, the President of the Republic, as head of the armed forces, wrote to defense manufacturers urging them to step up their efforts in the context of a war economy. In response to this call, I instructed Dassault Aviation employees to prioritize Rafale production, for both France and for export,” said chairman Éric Trappier.
The company signaled that supply-chain issues are continuing to create issues into 2024, including shortages at all stages of production and suppliers facing financial difficulties and capacity shortages. It said the situation has also affected its customer support bandwidth. But the company is hoping to counter supply issues through its participation in an investment fund dedicated to supporting the French aerospace supply chain and monitoring actions to anticipate the risks of new supplier inefficiencies.
Dassault has also given priority to the production of Rafale jets and export at the request of the French government and has delivered six Rafales to the country.
On the Falcon side, the company touted its expansion, including a new service center in Malaysia, as well as increased production capacity in Brazil and Florida. It also reiterated its commitment to being carbon neutral by 2050.