Dassault Falcon is in the process of signing key partners for its SMS super-midsize jet programme, says chief executive Jean Rosenvallon.
The SMS project to replace Dassault's smallest model, the now out of production Falcon 50EX - the last of which was delivered in 2008 - has gone quiet during the financial crisis. It made headlines at the EBACE business aviation show in Geneva earlier this year when Dassault announced it was taking a fresh look at the entire programme, including an earlier selection of the Rolls-Royce RB282-3 powerplant.
Dassault has yet to reveal details of the SMS's dimensions, construction and performance. The project was launched in 2007, and at one point an in-service date of 2012 was on the cards.
Separately, Rosenvallon describes the first half of 2010 as characterised by stable business and slow recovery. The French airframer has seen "good resiliency" in its large-cabin sector, especially in sales of its flagship Falcon 7X trijet, which he says should account for between 30 and 40 deliveries out of more than 80 expected this year.
Full details of Dassault Falcon's first-half sales performance will be revealed in a full announcement scheduled for 29 July, he adds.
After a severe 2009 slump in which cancellations saw Dassault record a negative 165 units order tally, there are signs that key customers, including in the US, are coming back into the market, but Rosenvallon is cautious about the outlook: "All the indications are showing a plus, but it's still a small plus."
Source: Flight Daily News
