AVIATION
DASSAULT FALCON SERVICE MÉRIGNAC CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY ,
AND EXPANDS SERVICE TO HANDLE ADDITIONAL FALCON MODELS
Dassault Falcon Service Mérignac , the Falcon factory service center adjacent to Dassault Aviation ’ s final assembly facility near Bordeaux , celebrates its fifth year in operation .
DFS Mérignac opened in 2016 to serve large-cabin , long-range Falcon 7X and 8X trijets . The 7,500 sq meter , six-bay facility has been operating at maximum capacity for most of that time and has completed 35 of the 53 Falcon 7X C-checks accomplished by DFS over that period .
The C-check is the most extensive inspection operation , and for a Falcon 7X takes a minimum of six weeks to complete . It is performed after every eight years or 4,000 hours of service and is often accompanied by additional upgrades such as complete paint , Satcom Ka-band installation , avionics retrofits or refurbishment work .
Staffed by a crew of 62 , the Mérignac center is equipped to handle structural repair , cabin refurbishment and modifications , avionics upgrades , carpentry and paintwork , in addition to heavy maintenance . It is now being expanded to service additional models , including the Falcon 900EX EASy and 2000EX EASy and Dassault ’ s new extra-widebody Falcon 6X , due to enter operation in 2022 .
“ The Mérignac facility has proved indispensable in multiple ways ,” said Jean Kayanakis , senior vice president , worldwide Falcon customer service & service center network . “ It has helped taking some of the heavy maintenance load off DFS ’ s busy Paris / Le Bourget facility . Besides , as the service facility most closely linked to our production and engineering teams , it is ideally suited to resolve complex maintenance issues . With the Dassault Aviation customer service organization now relocated from Paris to Mérignac , the service center has also become a resource for supporting maintenance solutions worldwide . Customers also appreciate its location just outside the attractive city of Bordeaux .”
Dassault Aviation operates 40 factory service centers and 20 authorized service facilities around the world . This capability , reinforced by the acquisition of the TAG and ExecuJet MRO networks , has helped make the company the number one OEM in Aviation International News ’ annual support survey three years in a row .
www . dassaultfalcon . com
32 The Art of Luxury Issue 50 2022