At the invitation of Dassault Aviation Group, Arab News visited Dassault factory in Paris, to see the strides taking place in aviation industry and also meet with the officials and technicians.
The destination was Bordeaux city, which was followed by a trip on board the Falcon 2000 that headed to Marseille city, south of France, and a tour of the stages of manufacturing of the special Falcon X7 and the Flight Test Center. This was an amazing experience, thanks to the generosity of the officials of Dassault Aviation Group Factory who gave a briefing on its background and activities.
Dassault Aviation Group is a leading manufacturer in the aerospace industry and aviation in Europe and the World, and is considered the only group in the world that designs and manufactures and supports aircrafts industry and commercial aircraft. The group is one of the companies in the forefront of technical and industrial revolution of digital technology, also the last group in the world owned by the founding family and bears the name Dassault. The group produces the well-known model aircraft Falcon.
The group has launched a program called “Vehra” and deals with the sciences of spacecraft, and the program “Arayani 5” competent ignition parts for the shuttle launch (+ Sioux), and ground units of measurement (Vega). The total number of Falcon clients who were served about 900 customers in more than 70 countries for more than 1,800 aircraft.
According to studies that have been conducted on the aviation industry in the world and the impact of the global financial crisis on sales of aircraft in general, it is found that the demand for the aircraft is uneven, although some parts of the region continued to grow despite the global financial crisis. Demand, however, dropped in the parts, which were significantly impacted by the world crisis.
In 2010, a study was conducted and found that a new trend was developing - use of small aircraft rather than giant commercial aircraft. This has resulted in an increasing demand for light aircraft. The manufacturers had to deliver 43 percent of light aircraft, with the transformation to their use is 10 percent. Then comes the medium-sized aircraft, where the aircraft delivered to operators around the world was about 15 percent and the rate of transformation to their use is 13 percent. The percentage increases have been maintaining a steady rate.
And as ranked, the first global aircraft or the so-called commercial aircrafts is mostly commonly used where the percentage of large aircraft that have been delivered to operators around is 39 percent and the rate of transformation to its use about 67 percent, and this is the highest percentage given to the needs of passengers to travel daily for great distances. And came last in terms of acquisition by the operators by the rate 3 percent and shift to use the ratio was 10 percent the huge aircraft for shipping cargo.
The group is one of the leading organizations in the world in manufacturing commercial luxury private aircraft, and the group is present in 5 continents in 77 countries, with the number of 11,500 employees, and the number of aircrafts manufactured by the group is more than 8,000 aircraft and the number of flying hours for the group aircraft reached more than 25 million flight hours.
Its net profit varied during its last years, in the year 2007, the net profit of the group reached 382 million euros. Profits decreased in 2008 to reach 373 million euros, and fell sharply again in the following year in 2009 until it reached 315 million euros. In 2010, the net profit returned to rise very strongly until it reached 395 million euros and the net profit continued to rise until it reached 407 million euros in 2011.
The sales of the group have also been related to the global financial crisis. The group has been affected slightly in 2007 with Falcon sales accounting for 2.35 billion euros. The group's exports are about 77 percent. In 2008, Falcon sales decreased to 2.31 billion euros and the ratio reached 66 percent. In 2009, sales of the Falcon aircraft by the group increased to 2.44 billion euros and exports amounted to 74 percent. In 2010, the percentage of sales for the Falcon aircraft rose to 3.23 billion euros and also included a high proportion of exports until it reached 80 percent. Finally, in the year 2011, the Falcon aircraft sales dropped to 2.41 billion euros and the group's exports fell reaching 74 percent.
The Falcon Family
The number of the Falcon aircraft manufactured annually is approximately 59 to 63 in the Dassault Aviation Group factories. There is a significant disparity in sales of Falcon aircraft and the reasons for these discrepancies is the different geographical areas, as well as the extent of growth in each region economically and commercially.
Taking a look at those sales during the period from 2005 to 2011, it is found that the percentage of sales of Falcon aircraft during 2005-2008 in North America is 33 percent and the percentage decreased during 2009-2011 to 21 percent in the same area. In Europe, the percentage of Falcon aircraft sales during 2005-2008 was about 33 percent and decreased during 2009-2011 to 26 percent.
In the Middle East, Falcon aircraft sales have been down. During 2005-2008, they amounted to 7 percent and decreased to 5 percent in 2009-2011. In the Pacific region, Falcon sales were 5 percent during 2005-2008 and the percentage rose significantly to 21 percent during 2009-2011. This is followed by the increase in South America, with 7 percent sales during 2005-2008. This percentage increased to 11 percent during 2009-2011. These two areas are considered the highest in terms of sales of Falcon aircraft during 2005-2011. In Australia, the sales during 2005-2011 rose from zero to 2 percent. As for the rest of Asia and Africa, there is a difference in the entire period due to a slight increase by 1 percent, as in Asia and 2005-2008 the proportion was 10 percent and became 11 percent, while in Africa, during 2005-2008 was 4 percent and is already 5 percent during the period 2009 to 2011.
The Falcon family consists of four different models ranging by abilities in the highest limit of the distance traveled by a single fill out of the fuel, as well as the top number of passengers in the plane, and technology located in each model vary according to the terms of use and range. The Falcon S 2000, which contains a twin-engine turbo and bears a number of 8 to 10 passengers. There is also the Falcon LX 2000, which also contains twin-engine turbo and carry passengers from 8 to 14 passengers. There is also the Falcon 900 LX model, and it is different formers with a three turbo engines and passenger capacity between 12 to 19 passengers. As well as the new generation of Falcon X7, which is long-winged with three turbo engines and accommodating 12 to 19 passengers.
Currently 1,901 Falcon aircraft are in service being used by 1,102 operators in 77 countries. In North America, the percentage of working Falcons run by operators is 65, and in Europe it is 26. These are the two areas with the highest ratio in the operation of Falcon's different models and aircraft. In Africa, the percentage of Falcons run by operators is 3. In the Middle East, the rest of Asia and South America, the percentage of all working Falcon aircraft in service is 2.The Pacific region has the lowest one percent operation of Falcon aircraft.
Dassault Aviation Group had lunched the new Falcon X7, which was characterized from the rest of the Falcon family by longer new wings that will be a hallmark of the new generation of Falcon. These long-wings provide a low fuel consumption and improve the effectiveness of aerodynamic on the by the new rate of 30 percent in the Falcon X7 and which distinguished it from its predecessors of the Falcon family. As well as the new safety features in the Falcon X7 at the two take-off and landing made the aircraft one of the safest business aircraft in the world. The wheels of the new Falcon X7 became a 360° rotating wheels, and double the number of wheels which were in previous Falcon models.
More than 144 Falcon X7 aircraft has been delivered to more than 101 operators in the world, and the number of flight hours spent by the Falcon X7 aircraft is more than 125,000 flight hours, and had made more than 50,000 landings without any problems or obstacles.
The new Falcon X7 contains a passenger cabin that had reached new stages of comfort thanks to the new navigation system coupled with the new digital system, the new air flow, characterized by large passenger cabin and natural lights, and the noise inside the passenger cabin was reduced to 52 DB. And what distinguishes the new Falcon X7, the presence of three engines turbo, raising the security level to where the chance of a malfunctioning engine is the biggest risk in the aviation industry, in which a malfunction in one of the engines of the three is not critical and considered an emergency situation, while the cannot be applicable in the two-engine aircraft. Also, the expenses of operating Falcon X7 is low due to the amount of fuel used, the percentage of spent fuel is 50 compared to other competing companies, which also gives the opportunity for other operating expenses of operations and maintenance.
On the other hand, the passenger compartment in the Falcon X7 is characterized by the new cabin management system and high-level entertainment system (HD) from “Rockwell Collins.” This new system provides video on demand services in the 3D screen, as well as operating as desired for a 3D maps, where also take passengers to a new level of interactive touch screens and technology available in the lounge entertainment of the passengers on board the Falcon X 7. Also, personal tablets and mobile phones can be connected via the new entertainment system with the 3D screen, which makes entertainment unique and interactive on board the new Falcon X7.
Also exists in the Falcon X7 a new option, the option of the bath area where it can be affixed to clients who wish to have this option on their Falcon X7. The shower can be used in the air and on the ground for 30 minutes to the degree of 48 ° C, raising the level of comfort and process for working passengers of long flights. The shower is designed to be a quiet descent of the water like rain. The lavatory section was re-designed and enlarged to fit the toilet partition with this new option; the shower design contains aluminum and wooden floors. The shower has the option of a bathing area with the glass electrically changing the situation from clear and transparent to dark and non-transparent to provide maximum comfort and privacy during the shower.
