JULIAN MOXON / PARIS
Edelstenne hopes French Rafale order and Falcon production rise will offset downturn
A near-50% drop in orders for Falcon business jets in 2003 is clouding the financial outlook for Dassault Aviation, although the company remains hopeful of securing a long-awaited follow-on order for multirole Rafale fighters.
Last year - described by Dassault president Charles Edelstenne as "the worst in our recent history" - saw orders booked for just 40 business jets, worth €1.39 billion ($1.78 billion), compared with 72 in 2002. Falcon jets accounted for only 58% of the French company's total orders in 2003, versus 77% in 2002.
Meanwhile, the proportion of export orders across all product lines fell to 62% of the year's total orders worth €2.42 billion. Orders worth €3.52 billion were taken in 2002, of which 79% were for export.
Defence fared little better than the commercial aircraft business, with export orders accounting for just 6% of total defence orders worth €150 million, although this was up from 4% export sales from defence sales of €120 million in 2002. However, Edelstenne points to the expected French order for a further 59 Rafale multirole fighters, which was delayed last year. "We're still in negotiations, but we expect agreement in a few weeks," he says.
The launch of the F3 standard multirole Rafale on 18 February has, Edelstenne claims, left Rafale "very well positioned" to win the Singapore fighter competition, despite competition from Boeing.
The picture for 2004 looks "slightly better" says Edelstenne, with Falcon production having risen from four to five aircraft a month as sales begin to pick up.
Dassault is due to fly its new 10,500km (5,700nm)-range, 12- to 19-seat Falcon 7X business jet in the first quarter of 2005. "We've signed up 39 firm sales as of 31 December 2003," Edelstenne says.
Source: Flight International
