Dassault Falcon Service Mérignac (DFS), the factory service centre adjacent to Dassault Aviation's final assembly building near Bordeaux in France, is celebrating five years in operation.

DFS Mérignac opened in 2016 to serve large cabin, long range Falcon 7X and 8X trijets. The 7,500 sqm, six bay facility has been operating at maximum capacity for most of that time and has completed 35 of the 53 Falcon 7X C-checks accomplished by DFS over that period.

The C-check is the most extensive inspection operation and, for a Falcon 7X, takes a minimum of six weeks to complete. It is performed after every eight years or 4,000 hours of service and is often accompanied by additional upgrades such as complete paint, satcom Ka-band installation, avionics retrofits or refurbishment work. Staffed by a crew of 62, the Mérignac centre is equipped to handle structural repair, cabin refurbishment and modifications, avionics upgrades, carpentry and paintwork, in addition to heavy maintenance. It is now being expanded to service additional models such as the Falcon 900EX EASy, 2000EX EASy and Dassault's new extra-widebody Falcon 6X, due to enter operation in 2022.

“The Mérignac facility has proved indispensable in multiple ways,” says Jean Kayanakis, senior vice president, worldwide Falcon customer service and service centre network. “It has helped take some of the heavy maintenance load off DFS's busy Paris Le Bourget facility. Besides, as the service facility most closely linked to our production and engineering teams, it is ideally suited to resolve complex maintenance issues. With the Dassault Aviation customer service organisation now relocated from Paris to Mérignac, the service centre has also become a resource for supporting maintenance solutions worldwide. Customers also appreciate its location just outside the attractive city of Bordeaux.”

Dassault Aviation operates 40 factory service centres and 20 authorised service facilities around the world.