Dassault Falcon Increases Middle East Fleet by 60 per cent Over the Past Three Years and Expects Growth to Continue

DUBAI, UAE, November 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- 2,000th Falcon Recently Delivered to Middle East Customer

Dassault Falcon has delivered a total of 21 large cabin aircraft in the last three years in the Middle East - growing the regional fleet by more than 60 per cent. The Middle East Falcon fleet has continued to grow significantly in 2009 in a year in which the company achieved the milestone of delivering its 2,000th business jet - a Falcon 2000LX to Koc Holding based in Istanbul, one of the largest and fastest growing companies in Turkey. Dassault has a significant backlog of orders from the region and expects its current regional fleet of 50 aircraft to grow by more than 50 per cent in the next three years.

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Despite the severe impact of the economic crisis in the US and Europe, the overall market situation now appears to have stabilized. "The level of pre-owned Falcon aircraft inventories has started to decrease," commented John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon. "While some areas of the world have yet to show signs of recovery, regions such as Asia, South America and the Middle East are becoming more active."

The Koc Group is representative of the vibrant growth throughout the region where strong demand for Falcon aircraft continues, thanks to the suitability of the Falcon line in meeting the demands of regional owners/operators.

"All of our models have stand up headroom and unbeatable fuel economy," said Rosanvallon. "And with oil hovering around $80 per barrel, the efficiency of the Falcons with their comfort and performance is a compelling feature." In particular, the 5,950 nm range Falcon 7X represents about 40 per cent of Dassault's recent sales in the region. Its unique digital flight control system sets it apart, providing smoother flights and unmatched manoeuvring control for the flight crew. It is the only long range business jet that can be operated into and out of London City Airport and thus links the heart of the world's largest financial center with non-stop access to the Middle East. Notable city pairs include: New York to Dubai, Jeddah to Recife or Riyadh to Perth.

Regional Expansions

Dassault's growing presence in the Middle East led to the company's decision to establish a dedicated spare parts distribution center and a sales office in Dubai last year. The regional inventory is worth more than US$1.5 million and includes most of the high replacement items. The worldwide spare parts distribution center network - including the Dubai center and nine other locations, contributes to the Falcon fleet outstanding 98% service level.

"Dubai is unique because of the expanding Falcon fleet based there but it is also a popular stopover point for transiting aircraft flying from the Asia-Pacific region to Europe" said Jacques Chauvet, Senior Vice President, Customer Service, Dassault Falcon. "We already have 50 aircraft based in the region and this number is expected to grow significantly in the next few years. We're currently evaluating several Authorized Service Centers (ASC) based in the middle East to expand our ASC network which already comprises 29 Falcon ASCs and 5 Factory Owned Service Centers".

During Dubai Airshow (November 15-19, 2009) Dassault Falcon will display a Falcon 7X and a Falcon 2000LX at the static display area. Booth W310 - Chalets 42-43-44.

About Dassault Falcon

Dassault Falcon is responsible for selling and supporting Falcon business jets throughout the world. It is part of Dassault Aviation, a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 70 countries across 5 continents. Dassault Aviation produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as a complete line of Falcon business jets. The company has assembly and production plants in both France and the United States and service facilities on multiple continents. It employs a total workforce of over 12,000. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, 2000 Falcon jets have been delivered to more than 67 countries worldwide. The family of Falcon jets currently in production includes the tri-jets-the Falcon 900DX, 900LX, and the 7X-as well as the twin-engine Falcon 2000LX.