More than 70 Falcon jets are in operation in the African region, around 15% of them in North Africa. Another ten Falcons are on order for delivery in 2014-15, most of them for the Falcon 7X.
MARRAKECH, Morocco – Dassault Aviation will present its large cabin, long range Falcon 7X at the fourth Marrakech Air Show, to be held in Morocco April 23-26. It will be Dassault’s second appearance at the show, which bills itself as the foremost trade show in the African region.
The flagship Falcon 7X, the first business jet equipped with digital flight controls, has a range of 5,950 nautical miles and can comfortably fly from Marrakech to Beijing, Los Angeles or Cape Town non-stop.
“Thanks to strong development of the economy and fast growth in industries such as mining, oil and gas, agriculture and construction, we see great potential in Africa for long-term growth in business aviation,” said Gilles Gautier, Vice President, Falcon Sales for Dassault Aviation. “Business jets are an ideal way to get around such a vast continent, where airline connections are often limited and ground infrastructure, minimal.”
Dassault recently celebrated the rollout of the 250th 7X – the fastest any Falcon jet has ever reached this milestone. Well over 200 units are currently in service in 34 countries and the fleet has accumulated more than 250,000 flight hours since the 7X was introduced in 2007.
Last year, the 7X was approved to carry Dassault’s second-generation intuitive EASy II flight deck. The award winning platform offers a number of significant enhancements, including enhanced and synthetic vision systems, Satellite Based Augmentation System capabilities and new air traffic management features to ensure compliance with future regulations.
The exceptional short field and hot-and-high performance, sturdiness and operating economics of the 7X and other new Falcon models make them ideal for the tough conditions and vast expanses of the African continent.
They can access many challenging airports where competitors are unable to operate or can do so only with limited range. All in-production Falcons are approved for operation into and out of London City Airport – one of the world’s most restricted facilities. The 7X can fly non-stop out of London City as far as New York, Dubai or Lagos.
The unparalleled performance and flexibility of Falcon jets has made them a special favorite among African government users, which operate 30% of the Falcons in the region.
“Falcons are universally appreciated for their large and quiet cabin, advanced design and fuel efficiency,” remarked Gautier. “Not only are Falcons less expensive to operate, they also retain greater value on resale. On average, 7X operators will save up to $10 million in total cost of ownership over a 6 year period compared to its closest competitors.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
