The inaugural Business Aviation Asia Forum & Expo (BAAFEx) in Singapore this week had just three business jets on the static display, and Dassault was the sole manufacturer to bring one of its aircraft—in this case, a Falcon 8X. After the show, which closes today, the 8X will continue on a demonstration tour that started in Paris and will end at the Avalon International Airshow, near Melbourne, Australia, from March 25 to 30.

“It’s very important for us to be closer to our partners, prospects, and customers,” said Carlos Brana, the French manufacturer's executive v-p for civil aircraft. “It’s important to show our product. We are an airplane manufacturer and when we go to a trade show talking about airplanes, it’s difficult not to bring an airplane. [BAAFEx] is a first and we know it could be triggering a bigger event two years from now.” 

Dassault’s presence at BAAFEx underscores the growth of its support network throughout the world. ExecuJet Haite, one of the companies in Dassault’s ExecuJet service center portfolio, is also exhibiting at BAAFEx. Both ExecuJet Haite locations in Tianjin and at Beijing’s new Daxing Airport are full of customer aircraft, further supporting Dassault’s efforts to stay close to its customers. 

“The ExecuJet Haite service centers are fully loaded,” Brana said, “and we see [customers] happier, they don’t need to go to other places. The fact that we have something close by makes a difference. It’s most important to be close to our customers. There is no sense to sell an airplane in China and have to fly to the U.S. for service.”

In March 2023, ExecuJet MRO Services opened a new facility in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur encompassing 149,500 square feet and capable of housing 15 airplanes, including the Falcon 10X, which will be Dassault’s biggest jet when it enters service in 2027.

10X Will Extend the Falcon Line

With the largest cross-section of any purpose-built business jet, the 10X will be able to fly almost anywhere in the world from Singapore. The cabin measures 9 feet 1 inch (2.77 meters) wide by 6 feet 8 inches tall, space that allows for ample comfort on the more than 15-hour flights that the airplane is capable of.

“The 10X will be a game-changer,” Brana said. “A lot of people are interested in the 7,500-nm range. This will be the largest jet we ever make. We had to enter that segment; we think it’s exactly what our customers are expecting, for us to do something different.” 

Meanwhile, along with the Falcon 2000 and 8X, Dassault is also promoting the Falcon 6X in Asia. The twin-engine 6X entered service in late 2023, and until the 10X enters service has the largest cross-section of any in-production business jet, with a range of 5,500 nm. “The best thing we can do is to show what we build,” he said, although the availability of demonstrator 6Xs is somewhat limited as deliveries to customers ramp up. “Demos are clearly showing what we cannot show with a picture, the smoothness of the ride and the agility of the airplane.”