Dassault Falcon Announces Sale of Two Falcon 900 Business Jets to Wallan Aviation

DUBAI, UAE, December 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Dassault Falcon announced this morning the sale of two business jets to Wallan Aviation, the prominent Middle East general aviation company.

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A pre-owned Falcon 900EX EASy II will be delivered by the end of the 2012 and a new Falcon 900LX in the second quarter of 2013. Wallan Aviation will operate both aircraft for the company's own use with the option of offering one or both aircraft to the charter market. The sale marks Wallan Aviation's entry into the Dassault Falcon range and large cabin segment.

The tri-engine Falcon 900LX is the most efficient airplane in its class, with a fuel burn up to 40% lower than other comparable aircraft. The Falcon 900LX flies 4,750 nm non-stop and can connect Dubai with Beijing, Jeddah to Cape Town, Riyadh to Chengdou, or Dammam to Singapore.

Wallan Aviation has been operating in the Middle East for 20 years and has also expanded to other services in the aviation field, including charter, jet maintenance and a flight academy to train the next generation of pilots. Wallan was awarded the prestigious Certificate of Appreciation by the United States Department of Commerce for strengthening American-Saudi ties. The company employs more than 800 staff, with a team of 35 dedicated specifically to aviation.

Saad Wallan, Chairman of Wallan Aviation and a Board member of MEBAA and the Saudi Aviation Club, a passionate aviator and type rated pilot since 1992, commented: "We chose the Falcon 900LX because of its advanced technology and efficient performance and range, its go anywhere flexibility and its resale value. For example, the Falcon 900's range connects Riyadh or Dubai directly with Shannon airport in Ireland, where passengers can clear customs immigration for the whole of the US. Falcons are increasingly proving themselves with operators in the region and this helps develop experience and build confidence in the Falcon range, which also has attractive emissions and environmental credentials."

Dassault already plans to deliver six Falcons to Middle East customers over the next 18 months, growing its fleet by 10%. More than 60 Falcon business jets currently operate in the region.

Commenting on the Wallan Aviation sale announcement, Gilles Gautier, VP Sales for Dassault Falcon, said: "We are delighted to announce this Falcon sale to Wallan Aviation, which is a well established and highly respected general aviation company in the Middle East. It represents the confidence that is returning to the regional market and underlines the commitment we continue to make to the Middle East, where we have invested to expand our infrastructure and support team."

Dassault Falcon continues to expand its Middle East sales and support network. In addition to the Dubai office, the network includes Authorized Service Centers in Dubai and Jeddah, a spares distribution center in Dubai and a technical office in Jeddah. "Falcons are well-suited to the demands of our Middle East customers, offering long range and large, roomy cabins which are ideal for work or rest," added Gilles Gautier. "Falcons burn 20-40% less fuel and offer up to 50% lower operating costs than some aircraft in their class."

About the Falcon 900LX

The 4,750 nm Falcon 900LX flies 4,750 nm non-stop. It can connect Dubai with Beijing, Jeddah to Cape Town, Riyadh to Chengdou. Built on the successful Falcon 900EX platform, the Falcon 900LX features a pair of High-Mach blended winglets that help reduce aircraft drag as much as 5%. The winglets help make the Falcon 900LX the most efficient airplane in its class, with a fuel burn up to 40% lower than other aircraft in its class. They also reduce climb to cruise time - at Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW), the Falcon 900LX can reach FL390 (39,000 feet) in just 20 minutes, - and contribute to short-field performance.

In March 2012, the aircraft received FAA approval for steep approaches, allowing it to operate with approach angles of up to 6 degrees, instead of the 3 degrees used most commonly. This approval made the Falcon 900LX, like other Falcons, both FAA and EASA compliant for operations at London City Airport, one of the most challenging for steep approach.

The Falcon 900LX is equipped with Dassault Falcon's second-generation EASy II flight deck, which was approved for the aircraft in June 2011. EASy II brings a number of cutting-edge options to the cockpit, including synthetic vision, automatic descent mode, XM graphical Weather and ADS-B Out. It also includes two novel communications features, FANS 1A and CPDLC, compliant with Europe's new data link mandate.

The Falcon 900LX is powered by the same ultra-efficient and economical Honeywell TFE731-60 engines as the 900EX.

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 five continents. Dassault Aviation produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the 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, over 2,200 Falcon jets have been delivered to 80 countries worldwide. The family of Falcon jets currently in production includes the tri-jets-the Falcon 900LX, and the 7X-as well as the twin-engine 2000LX, 2000LXS and Falcon 2000S.

Photos

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Press Contacts
Dassault Aviation (Saint-Cloud, France)
Vadim Feldzer Tel. +33-1-47-11-44-13
Marie-Alexandrine Fouillard Tel. +33-1-47-11-64-23

SOURCE Dassault Falcon