The final assembly team at Dassault Aviation's facility in Bordeaux-Merignac, France has opened the doors of Charles Lindbergh Hall to show the world the company's newest and most advanced aircraft, the Falcon 6X.

“Today's rollout is a significant achievement. I am very pleased to present the addition of an all-new aircraft design within the Falcon family, the ultra widebody Falcon 6X,” says Dassault chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic required exceptional perseverance and cooperation on the part of Dassault and its partner companies.”

Though circumstances forced the company to stage a virtual unveiling, the event had global reach. Customers and operators from all over the world logged on to see the aircraft make its first public appearance.

“The 6X represents a major step forward for large-cabin business jet operators,” continues Trappier. “Its award-winning cabin, the tallest and widest in business aviation, provides levels of spaciousness, comfort, productivity and safety that will set a new benchmark in the long range segment.”

The rollout paves the way for completion of the ground test programme and the extensive systems checks that must be performed before the aircraft's first flight, which is scheduled to occur early next year. In recent months, Pratt & Whitney Canada has completed ground and flight tests of the aircraft's PW812D engine.

With a 5,500 nm range and a top speed of Mach 0.90, the Falcon 6X can connect passengers to major business centres. It can fly from London to Hong Kong or from Los Angeles to Moscow nonstop. The jet can also perform safe approaches as low as 109 kts, enabling it to safely access small airports with short and hard-to-reach runways.