Dassault Falcon to Set Up New Operation in Shanghai, China

Dassault Falcon will set up a new operation in Shanghai to help support its rapidly growing Chinese fleet, the company announced.

According to a release, the new entity, to be known as Dassault Falcon Aircraft Services-China, will be established by the end of the second quarter of 2012, in partnership with Shanghai Hawker Pacific and will be located within the Shanghai Hawker Pacific complex at Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport.

The company said Dassault Falcon Aircraft Services-China will play a key role in ensuring support for the Falcon fleet that is expected to triple by the end of 2012.

The unit will be staffed by a team of technicians with an average experience of more than 10 years with Falcon business jets specially trained on Falcon 7X, Falcon 2000LX and Falcon 900LX models, the company said. Line maintenance, AOG support, troubleshooting and component replacement will be among the services offered.

Dassault Falcon said the operation will bring hands-on Falcon maintenance to the Shanghai Hawker Pacific's facilities that support local and transient Falcon aircraft, while providing an opportunity to transfer technical maintenance know-how to Chinese engineers in this developing market.

"This facility in Shanghai is an essential part of our strategy to support our growing market share in China," said John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon. "Our customers will appreciate the instant increase in the level of Falcon maintenance experience that this program will offer, as well as the dedication that only Dassault as the aircraft manufacturer can provide."

The company noted that the Shanghai Hawker Pacific complex features a 4,000 sq m facility for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), in addition to its fixe based operations (FBO) capabilities. It was the first third-party MRO facility in mainland China and is a joint partnership with the Shanghai Airports Authority.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) recently granted a Part 145 repair certificate for the facility as well as a Part 145 approval for the Falcon 7X. Approvals for the Falcon 900LX and Falcon 2000LX models are expected within six months, the company added.

"Dassault Falcon and Shanghai Hawker Pacific have a shared vision of providing the best customer service experience in China," said John Riggir, VP-Asia for Hawker Pacific. "We have the facilities, dedication and infrastructure to meet our customers' needs today and into the future. The Dassault team will bring a more advanced business aircraft MRO experience to complement and rapidly grow the capabilities of Shanghai Hawker Pacific as China absorbs this fleet of new Falcons."

Dassault Falcon is responsible for selling and supporting Falcon business jets throughout the world. It is part of Dassault Aviation, an aerospace company with a presence in over 70 countries across five continents.

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