Dassault Aviation closed 2023 with weaker-than-anticipated sales and deliveries of its Falcon business jets. According to the French aircraft manufacturer, orders for Falcons declined from 64 in 2022 to just 23 last year. The company delivered 26 Falcons, six fewer than in 2022, and fell short of the 35 units it had previously projected in guidance issued in March.

As of December 31, Dassault’s backlog of orders covered 84 Falcons, compared with 87 at the end of 2022. However, over the same period, the backlog for its Rafale fighters increased from 164 to 211, and the company delivered 13 Rafales (11 to the French military and two for export customers), which was two fewer than forecast.

Dassault had expected to make more deliveries of its new Falcon 6X last year. But the first production 6X entered service with the undisclosed launch customer on November 30, some three months after the model achieved concurrent FAA and EASA type certification on August 22.

In the second half of last year, Dassault managed to spool up deliveries from a slow start of just nine Falcons in the first six months, which the company acknowledged had been affected by ongoing supply-chain difficulties. It delivered 17 Falcons in the second half.

Dassault Aviation will publish its full-year group financial results, including its 2024 delivery forecast, on March 6.

Rapidly expanding FBO chain Aero Centers recently opened a facility at Spokane International Airport (KGEG) in Washington state, giving the airport two general aviation service providers.

The nearly four-acre, $10 million facility—which took nine months to build—features a 6,000-sq-ft terminal with passenger and pilot lounges, snooze room, showers, 12-seat conference room, concierge, business center, dishwashing service, and crew cars. Located on the east side of the field adjacent to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it also offers courtesy transportation, vehicle ramp access, and 1,200 sq ft of office space.

To shelter aircraft up to a Bombardier Global 7500, the complex—which is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with after-hours callout available—offers 27,000 sq ft of heated hangar space.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of Aero Centers Spokane,” said Geoff Heck, the company’s president and COO. “Our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of this partnership with the Spokane Airport, as well as the Spokane aviation community, and we look forward to shaping a successful and collaborative future.”

Aero Centers also operates the lone FBO at nearby Felts Field (KSFF). Over the past year, the company has added four locations. Its next—at Wyoming’s Casper–Natrona County International Airport (KCPR)—is expected to open by April.

The Naples Airport Authority (NAA) launched a Fly Safe Fly Quiet (FSFQ) program this month at the Southwest Florida airport. This initiative measures aircraft performance, recognizes the “most courteous” operators, and underscores the NAA's commitment to creating “quieter skies within the community.”

The FSFQ leaderboard serves as a platform to acknowledge operators that prioritize aviation safety and good neighbor practices. Operators will be assessed in three areas: observance of voluntary curfew hours, arrival altitudes, and the overall noise output of their aircraft. Bonus points are awarded for operators that avoid operations during Naples Airport’s (KAPF) quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. by adjusting their schedule or staging at other airports during these hours.

Top operators will be recognized each quarter for efforts to reduce their community noise impact via media announcements, social media posts, and promotions throughout the general aviation terminal/FBO.

“We’re very excited about this initiative, which will help us recognize the top operators who observe our quiet hours and demonstrate their commitment to being a good neighbor,” said NAA executive director Chris Rozansky. “It’s an example of how we strive to identify creative, positive ways of mitigating aircraft noise impacts in our community.”

The Air Charter Association (ACA) is seeking to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal charter flights during a Fly Legal Day event on Sunday, January 21. That date will mark the fifth anniversary of the fatal accident in which soccer player Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson lost their lives in an illegally chartered flight from France to the UK.

ACA is urging industry colleagues to report suspicious charters to regulators. The UK-based group has reported multiple concerns over the past year, resulting in action being taken against one operator, while flights have been prevented from taking off and unlicensed operators are being monitored to prevent illegal commercial flights.

“There has been greater public awareness of the dangers of illegal charter since the Sala incident, which has prompted an increase in reports to authorities,” said ACA CEO Glenn Hogben. “However at the end of 2023, another fatal aircraft accident occurred with many similarities to the Sala case, although we hope the investigation will prove otherwise.”

ACA aims to raise awareness that charter flights are illegal if conducted by an operator without an air operator certificate flying a private aircraft and accepting payment. It also publicizes that operators without licenses are not required to adhere to strict commercial aviation regulatory standards for maintenance, crew training, and operational management to ensure the safety of passengers.

Brazil will reinstate visa requirements for U.S., Canadian, and Australian citizens, including flight crewmembers, in the coming months, according to Universal Weather and Aviation. Tourists from these countries will need a Brazil visa starting on April 10, while the effective date for flight crewmembers is July 10.

“This marks a significant change from the 2019 decision under former President Jair Bolsonaro, which had removed the need for tourist visas for these nationals without insisting on reciprocal arrangements for Brazilian tourists,” the flight planning company said. It noted that U.S., Canadian, and Australian citizens currently can visit Brazil for up to 180 days without a visa, with an option to extend that by another 90 days.

While Brazil’s visa application process is fully digital, Universal said travelers will need to apply online at least 15 days before their intended arrival to account for an approximate five-day processing period. The visa fee is $80.90 with a 10-year validity. “It’s advisable to carry two printed copies of the electronic visa during travel,” the company added.

“This policy change underscores Brazil’s commitment to reciprocal international relations and reflects the evolving landscape of global travel regulations,” Universal concluded.

ExecuJet MRO Services Australia aircraft maintenance technicians have completed EASA-approved maintenance training for the newly operational Dassault Falcon 6X, the company said today. It encompasses a six-week program that includes four weeks of theoretical training and two weeks of hands-on practical training on the 6X assembly line. This allows technicians to be equipped and trained to provide line maintenance for Falcon 6Xs visiting Australia and the Pacific region.

Jason Jia, a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer at ExecuJet, traveled from Australia to France, where he completed the training course in Bordeaux, near Dassault’s final assembly site. CAE conducted the theoretical training in Bordeaux and the Dassault Training Academy ran practical training there.

“It was exciting to be in France and in Dassault’s home,” said Jia. “The training was practical and immersive. CAE provided us with the simulator and virtual aircraft to familiarize us with the aircraft systems.

“For the practical training, we were trained using virtual reality (VR), as well as actual aircraft. The Falcon immersive VR training devices allowed us to tour the aircraft from the inside to get a better understanding of the components, the system, and the wiring.”

The training covers all systems: the engines; avionics; digital flight control system; fuel system; hydraulics; landing gear; lighting; water and waste; structures; communication, navigation, and surveillance; electrical; cabin furnishing; connectivity; oxygen; and auxiliary power unit.

Bell Training Academy (BTA) in Valencia, Spain, has grown to serve 200 pilots annually who spent 1,000 hours inside the BTA’s Bell 429 level-D simulator last year. BTA Valencia serves customers from around the world, offering them the option of dry leasing the simulator to use with their own instructors for training, along with ground school training and other options to match each attendee’s goals. Last year, BTA Valencia provided more than 200 hours of simulator dry leasing.

According to Bell, the simulator in Valencia has an operational efficiency of more than 99 percent and is used for the EASA-approved 429 initial course; the recurrent course, consisting of a combination of ground school and simulator time; and a performance-based navigation course that meets EASA requirements for all instrument-rated pilots.

“I really enjoy talking to the pilots to learn about their experience, not only in the simulator and during their training but also their daily activity flying different missions,” said BTA Valencia training center manager Patricia Charcos. “It’s rewarding to hear how useful the simulator training is to help pilots prepare in case of an emergency or a malfunction.”

Bell maintains training facilities in Europe, Asia, and America. More than 130,000 pilots have completed pilot or technical training at a Bell Training Academy since 1947.