General Aviation Dassault cancels Falcon 5X program

Due to ongoing problems with engine manufacturer Safran Silvercrest, Dassault Aviation has now decided to terminate the process of developing the Falcon 5X. The engines were planned to be delivered by the end of 2013, but after major technical issues, Safran further postponed the delivery date in 2015 and 2016. The new date for engine deliveries was set to the end of 2017. Therefore, Dassault had to delay the entry into service of the Falcon 5X from 2017 to 2020. This three-year delay has caused order cancellations and further customers´ concerns.

In Fall 2017, Safran experienced problems with the high-pressure compressor and announced additional delay, which made the 2020 entry into service impossible. Dassault Aviation now plans to start negotiations with Safran over the following procedure. In fact, the French aircraft manufacturer intends to terminate the contract with Safran.

The Falcon 5X performed its maiden flight on July 5, 2017. In the following preliminary test campaign, the 5X met all standards and expectations.

After the cancellation of the Falcon 5X program, Dassault Aviation will now start developing a new Falcon program, since the market is still in need for an aircraft that meets these particular attributes. The new Falcon aircraft will initially entry into service is 2022. Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, explains that the new Falcon will be powered by Pratt & Whitney engines: “There is still a strong market need for a brand new long-range aircraft with a very large cabin, so I have decided to launch a new Falcon project powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, featuring the same cross section as the Falcon 5X, a range of 5,500 Nm, and scheduled to enter into service in 2022.”

In the last century, Dassault Aviation has delivered over 10,000 military and civil aircraft in over 90 countries. The company employs 12,000 personnel.