Dassault has revealed its plans for the upcoming Falcon 5X, which senior vp Olivier Villa believes will sell particularly well in the Middle East. “The 5X will have good success generally and in every location, but it does seem to be most suitable for the Middle East region,” he says. “It will be a very good seller there. We also have a lot of success in the US though, and we do not target aircraft with a specific location in mind.

“What is true is that, depending on the region, people are looking for more non-stop solutions. For example, if you look at China, it is a little far for the 5X, so we are mainly focused on 7X and 8X sales over there. It is difficult to forecast how the fleet will grow in the next few years. What is for sure is that we have the right range of product. Generally for growth it looks as though conditions are fine right now. We have learnt in the past that crisis can change things quickly, especially when it comes to the mood of the customers.”

The 8X is due to enter service before the 5X. While the former is a development of the 7X, the latter is a clean sheet design, so the certification cycle is taking longer. Dassault's sales are on average 70 per cent to corporations, 20 per cent to individuals, and government sales which represent 10 per cent.

“We talk of innovation,” continues Villa. “Our flight control system is very different to others in the market. But what matters more for the end customer is what you can do with the aircraft, and what these innovations bring. For that, we have carried out some recent promotional flights with the 7X, showing where it can go and others can't. We have a very dramatic video of the 7X landing in difficult airports, including the highest commercial airport in the world in China. This is what we promote, and what really attracts people. You buy this aircraft for long range missions, but you can still use it for difficult, short flights. It is very customisable, and very quiet.

“The 7X has built a reputation in terms of cabin comfort, which I can tell you is unmatched. This is what brings a lot of people to the Falcon family,” conclude Villa.