French OEM Dassault has seen the Middle East market pick up and expects a strong response to the twinjet Falcon 6X, due to enter service in the next five years, Renaud Cloatre, international sales director, Dassault Aviation, Dubai, told AIN.

“We are seeing improvements in the Middle East market. Last year was not at all bad and we think 2018 will be an even better year for us. We are selling different aircraft models, including the Falcon 6X, in the region. It is a tough market to predict but there is a constant need for good aircraft in the Middle East, and a lot of serious players are keen on our new model range,” he said.

“The popularity of our three-engine Falcon 7X in the region over the last 10 years demonstrates the attractiveness of this configuration in the region. The MEBAA lineup will feature two trijets, the Falcon 8X, and the Falcon 900LX. The Falcon 8X offers an ultra-long-range capability, enabling passengers to fly from Singapore to London or New York to Dubai nonstop,” he said.

The Falcon 6X, expected to enter service in 2022, has a range of 5,500 nm, which allows travelers to reach Europe, Africa, and the Far East nonstop from the Middle East. Some 90 percent of owners’ needs are said to be in this range.

“People also appreciate the cabin size and comfort the 6X offers, on par with much costlier and heavier business jets. The cabin is the highest and widest of any purpose-built business jet and has a length of 12.3 meters, just shy of the 13-meter cabin on the 8X. It offers 52 square meters of floor space allowing it to accommodate a wide range of cabin configurations including a large entryway with a crew rest,” he said.

Advanced features such as new generation digital flight controls derived from those on the Falcon 8X ensure ultra-stable and quiet flight. “The 6X is off to a [strong] commercial start in the Middle East and we expect it to become a big seller in the region," he said. "We value the loyalty of our clients, which is very strong in the Middle East. We have customers in the Middle East who are now taking delivery of their sixth or seventh Falcon."

“Operators appreciate that we are not here just to sell an aircraft. We have a network of more than 50 service centers including Dassault Falcon Service in Le Bourget, the biggest Falcon service center in the world. We also have close partnering relationships with the larger established MROs in the region, such as Jet Aviation and ExecuJet, which offer considerable mutual benefits.”