Dassault Falcon Service (DFS) completed a passenger-to-cargo conversion of a Falcon 900B in record time recently at Paris-Le Bourget, the Dassault Aviation subsidiary announced this week. Conversion of the company-owned trijet took eight days from receiving the order to getting approval from the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) under a fast-track exemption.

Technicians stripped passenger seating and furnishings and installed equipment in their place to stow and secure freight in the aircraft, which carries capacity for 13.5 cubic meters of cargo or 6,325 pounds (2,884 kg).

Because the conversion involved no major modifications to the Falcon’s access doors or other systems, DFS said the conversion is easily reversible. DFS customer service, engineering, and operating teams participated in the modification. Dassault Aviation provided test and certification resources.

Following conversion, the aircraft has transported fabric to a plant in Eastern Europe for the production of face masks distributed in France, North Africa, and other countries and regions affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to DFS, transporting the materials and masks is faster and more flexible in a business jet than by commercial air cargo or ground transportation.