Dassault Falcon, part of Dassault Aviation, a leading aerospace company with a major global presence, said it has delivered 21 large cabin aircraft in the last three years in the Middle East - growing the regional fleet by over 60 per cent.

Dassault Aviation produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as a complete line of Falcon business jets.

 and is responsible for selling and supporting Falcon business jets across the globe.

The Middle East Falcon fleet has continued to grow significantly in 2009 in a year in which the company achieved the milestone of delivering its 2,000th business jet – a Falcon 2000LX to Koç Holding based in Istanbul, one of the largest and fastest growing companies in Turkey.

Despite the severe impact of the economic crisis in the US and Europe, the overall market situation now appears to have stabilized, said its top official.

“The level of pre-owned Falcon aircraft inventories has started to decrease,” remarked John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon. “While some areas of the world have yet to show signs of recovery, regions such as Asia, South America and the Middle East are becoming more active,” he noted.

Dassault, Rosanvallon said, has a significant backlog of orders from the region and expects its current regional fleet of 50 aircraft to grow by more than 50 per cent in the next three years.

The Koç Group is representative of the vibrant growth throughout the region where strong demand for Falcon aircraft continues, thanks to the suitability of the Falcon line in meeting the demands of regional owners/operators, he added.

“All of our models have stand up headroom and unbeatable fuel economy,” Rosanvallon pointed out.

In particular, the 5,950 nm range Falcon 7X represents about 40 per cent of Dassault’s recent sales in the region. Its unique digital flight control system sets it apart, providing smoother flights and unmatched manoeuvring control for the flight crew.

It is the only long range business jet that can be operated into and out of London City Airport and thus links the heart of the world's largest financial center with non-stop access to the Middle East. Notable city pairs include: New York to Dubai, Jeddah to Recife or Riyadh to Perth, Rosanvallon stated.

“And with oil hovering around $80 per barrel, the efficiency of the Falcons with their comfort and performance is a compelling feature,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service