Dassault Aviation said it finished 2022 with increased earnings and a record volume of orders despite a range of challenges including the war in Ukraine and related sanctions, supply chain difficulties, and a tight labor market.
The French company reported net income of about $757.8 million, or $9.12 per share, compared with $640.5 million, or $7.70 per share, during the previous year. Sales decreased to $7.35 billion from $7.67 billion during 2021.
“Supply chains, particularly in the aviation sector, have been affected by successive crises: war and the consequences of sanctions as well as other geopolitical tensions and the lingering COVID-19 crisis, have led to shortages of components and raw materials, the return of inflation, rising energy prices and fears over energy supply,” the company said in a statement. “These crises have destabilized our suppliers, directly impacting our supplies, production, and development.”
However, Dassault also said that except for a slowdown near the end of the year, the business jet market was strong during 2022, which helped drive orders for its Falcon jets. The company also benefited from military orders for its Rafale fighter that accounted for much of its record order volume by year’s end.
Dassault said orders totaled $22.17 billion in 2022 compared with $12.78 billion a year earlier. Military orders accounted for $18.53 billion of the 2022 total and $9.70 billion in 2021.
