Dépêches

Dassault Falcon at India Aviation, Hyderabad, March 3-7

Dépèche transmise le 19 février 2010 par PRNewswire

SAINT-CLOUD, France, February 19, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Dassault Falcon will present a selection of Falcon large cabin business jets at the India Aviation 2010 exhibition (Hyderabad, March 3-7), including the first of six Falcon 7X aircraft to be delivered in India along with the Falcon 2000EX. The 7X is Falcon's best selling model, with more than 200 orders from 42 countries. Dassault has the highest market share in the large cabin business jet segment in India, driven by new models with exceptional performance, comfort and fuel economy.

The Falcon fleet is well established in India, with 16 Falcon 2000 and Falcon 900 models currently operating in the country. Another dozen Falcon aircraft are on order with deliveries anticipated within the next three years.

"India has become one of our strongest markets in the last few years," said John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon. "As the country's economy continues to strengthen, there will be an increasing need to connect India efficiently with other major centers of trade around the world. For example, the Falcon 7X provides direct, non-stop access from Hyderabad or Chennai, India to London City Airport located in the center of London, England."

The performance of the Falcon fleet is especially valued in India where short airfields, elevated runways and high temperatures are common. Falcons are also more economical to operate and more environmentally responsible than any other large cabin business jet. Their efficient design means 20-60 per cent less fuel consumption and lower emissions. "With their exceptional performance and fuel efficiency, the entire Falcon fleet is positioned very nicely for long term success in this region," concluded John Rosanvallon.

The new Falcon 7X was awarded type certification in India in November 2009, by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). India's first Falcon 7X will be delivered on the occasion of India Aviation 2010 to Religare Voyages Limited, a charter company based in New Delhi. This organization is also part of a multi-billion dollar group with a global focus on financial services, diagnostics, health and wellness, and IT services. Religare Voyages currently operates a Falcon 2000 as well as several smaller jets and turboprops.

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To support its growing fleet in India, Falcon Customer Service recently relocated a Falcon Customer Service Manager from France to Mumbai, and opened a spares distribution center in Mumbai, in late 2008. Dassault Falcon has authorized Service Centers in Dubai and Singapore, and is evaluating a number of Indian service centers for potential inclusion in Dassault's Authorized Service Center Network to further extend support in that region. A regional Maintenance and Operations (M&O) seminar dedicated to Falcon operators will be held on April 8, 2010, in Mumbai. Dassault's presence in India also includes a liaison office in New Delhi, which serves both the Indian Falcon operators and the Indian military fleet which includes 50 Mirage Fighter Jets.

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 three tri-jets-the Falcon 900EX, 900LX, and the 7X-as well as the twin-engine 2000LX.

CONTACT: Press Contacts: Dassault Aviation (France), Vadim Feldzer, Tel.+33-1-47-11-44-13; Marie-Alexandrine Munoz, Tel. +33-1-47-11-64-23;Dassault Falcon (USA): Ralph Aceti, Tel. +1-201-541-4585; Andrew Ponzoni,Tel. +1-201-541-4588