Dassault is to build a heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at its Bordeaux-Mérignac facility in southwest France, dedicated to supporting its Falcon 5X, 7X and 8X business jet fleet. The 7,200m2 (77,500ft2) plant will be erected on a parcel of land adjacent to Dassault’s Falcon final assembly base. Scheduled for completion in mid-2016, the facility will accommodate up to six of the large cabin and long-range twin and tri-engined jets.
“The new Mérignac service centre reflects Dassault Falcon Service’s commitment to keep up with the steady expansion of the Falcon fleet, which now numbers more than 2,000 aircraft worldwide, and make sure customers continue benefiting from the top-notch service they’ve come to enjoy,” says Dassault Falcon Service general manager Jean Kayanakis.
Dassault says the decision to locate the new maintenance facility in Mérignac was motivated by the large pool of skilled aviation workers and subcontractors in the Bordeaux area and the "multiple benefits" offered by the assembly plant, such as paint shops.
This is the airframer's fourth company-owned service centre to offer heavy maintenance. The other facilities are located in Little Rock, Arkansas; Wilmington, Delaware; and Le Bourget, France.
Source: Flight International
