Dassault Aviation and Wallan Aviation Extend Relationship with New Falcon 5X Agreement
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MEBA 2014, DUBAI, UAE – Dassault Aviation has announced the sale of a Falcon 5X ultra-wide body twin jet to Wallan Aviation, the prominent Middle East general aviation company. The 5,200 nm 5X will be delivered in 2018 and Wallan Aviation will operate the aircraft for the company's own use with the option to charter. The agreement was signed at the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show 2014, hosted at Dubai World Central.
According to Wallan Aviation, Falcons - including the new Falcon 5X and 8X - are well-suited to the needs of the region, offering long range, spacious and comfortable cabins with low cabin pressure, and large luggage storage capacity. Wallan Aviation have already experienced and operated a Falcon 900EX EASy and a Falcon 900LX.
The Middle East region accounts for 20% of worldwide sales for the Falcon 5X, which was introduced in 2013. With a range of 5,200 nm, it can fly passengers nonstop from Dubai to Cape Town or from Riyadh to Tokyo. The 5X is on track for a first flight in the second quarter of 2015 and is expected to begin entering Middle East inventories in the second half of 2017.
Wallan Aviation has been operating in the Middle East for more than 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. The company employs more than 800 staff, with a team of 35 dedicated specifically to aviation.
Mr. 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, comments: "We chose the Falcon 5X because it is the right aircraft for the Middle East - it is so well adapted to the way we travel in the region and will sit alongside our current Falcons and other platforms, as our business continues to grow very steadily along with the regional market. Our experience of operating Falcons has been very positive and we are able to service and maintain all the aircraft ourselves, with the local support of Dassault. These aircraft also maintain their values very well and offer very good operating economies."
Commenting on the Wallan Aviation agreement, Mr. Gilles Gautier, VP Falcon Sales for Dassault Aviation, said: "We are delighted to announce this Falcon 5X sale to Wallan Aviation, which is a well-established and highly respected general aviation company in the Middle East and with whom we have built a close working relationship. The 5X has been very strongly received in the regional market, where we continue to invest and expand our infrastructure and support team. 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."
Falcon jet sales in the Middle East are supported by a solid after market presence. Dassault Aviation operates an Authorized Service Center, a spares distribution center and a regional sales office in Dubai, UAE, along with an Authorized Service Center and technical office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
There are around 65 Falcon business jets already operating in the region. "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 many aircraft in their class." Dassault Falcon is the recognized global brand for Dassault business jets which are designed, manufactured and supported by Dassault Aviation and Dassault Falcon Jet Corp.
About Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 80 countries across five continents. It produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the complete line of Falcons. The company employs a workforce of over 11,000 and has assembly and production plants in both France and the United States and service facilities around the globe. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 2,250 Falcon jets have been delivered. Dassault offers a range of six business jets from the twin-engine 3,350 nm large-cabin Falcon 2000S to its new flagship, the tri-engine 6,450 nm ultra-long-range Falcon 8X.
About Dassault Falcon Jet
Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, France. Dassault Falcon Jet markets and supports the Falcon family of business jets throughout North America, South America and the Pacific Rim countries of Asia, including the People's Republic of China.
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