Dassault Falcon 2000 LXS business jets to be made in India

The first-ever, comprehensive assembly line for Dassault Falcon 2000 outside of France will be set up at Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) in India.

At the recently held Paris Air Show, Dassault Aviation and Reliance Aerostructure Limited (RAL) agreed to manufacture Falcon 2000 LXS business executive jets in India for the global market. The development puts India in an exclusive club of countries assembling latest generation business jets for the world.

A JV under the name Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) will be executing the assembly line for the aircrafts in India. This is the first time that Dassault will be making these business jet outside of France. DRAL will also be a Centre of Excellence for the Falcon series, including Falcon 6X and Falcon 8X programs, according to the company.

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The project is expected to materialize by 2028, with the transfer of fuselage and wing assembly operations. DRAL will also be upgrading its facility located at MIHAN, Nagpur towards complete manufacturing of the jets. It is to be noted that DRAL is already assembling many major subsections of the Falcon 2000 at the facility since 2019.

Dassault’s Falcon 2000 series is in production for over three decades, with over 9 variants including defense aircrafts for maritime surveillance. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C turbofan engines, these jets can hit a top speed of 0.85 Mach with a flying range of about 4,000 nautical miles.

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The Falcon 2000 LXS, in particular, is known for its superior take-off and landing abilities, cabin comforts and fuel efficiency. It is the series’ flagship long-range variant that can cost over $36.5 million. The business jet can seat 8-10 passengers.