Dassault Aviation posted a slight decline in 2005 sales and profits, despite a record year for Falcon business jet orders.
The French airframer ended 2005 with an order book of €4.53 billion ($5.4 billion), an increase of nearly 13% on 2004’s results, with the Falcon family of business jets accounting for 90% of the total. The company released its annual figures at a press conference in Paris today.
The group saw a record 123 orders for Falcon Jets, the first time it has sold more than 100 of the aircraft “and this without the benefit of multiple sales to fractional operators,” Dassault says.
Overall, Dassault posted consolidated sales of €3.43 billion, a slight decline on 2004’s total of €3.45 billion, with Falcon aircraft accounting for 48% of this total, defence sales in France providing 39% and the remaining 13% coming from defence exports.
The company’s consolidated net profit dipped too, from €313 million in 2004 to €305 million in last year.
Dassault, which ended 2005 with an order backlog of more than 200 aircraft, says it expects to deliver more than 60 aircraft in 2006, compared with 51 last year. A “similar rate increase is planned for 2007,” the company says.
Dassault Falcon president and chief executive Jean Rosanvallon says: “over the past several years as the price of oil has steadily risen, we’ve seen an increased interest in Falcons around the world.”
HELEN MASSY-BERESFORD / LONDON
Source: Flight International
