Dassault Delivers First Falcon 8X

French business jet maker Dassault has delivered the first Falcon 8X, the company’s latest ultra-long-range flagship. The trijet was delivered to Amjet Executive, an operator based in Athens, Greece, which offers fleet management, charter, sales, maintenance and repair services. In addition to its new 8X, Amjet’s fleet includes Falcon 50, 900EX EASy and 7X bizjets.

“As a pilot, I can personally vouch for the remarkable handling and piloting qualities of the big new trijet,” said Amjet president Abakar Manany. “Its superb performance and cabin comfort will allow us to fill an ever wider range of needs and missions for our exceptionally demanding clientele.”

The delivery came two years after Dassault introduced the 8X. Although the 8X has been certified both by EASA and the FAA since June, Dassault wanted to take the airplane through some additional long-range testing prior to making the first delivery. A monthlong round-the-world trip was completed to “ensure aircraft systems would be fully mature and operational from day one,” the company said.

Dassault has 11 8Xs in final assembly at its factory in Merignac, and another 16 are getting ready for customers at the completion center in Little Rock, Arkansas, which was recently expanded to accommodate the newly certified trijet. About a dozen deliveries are expected in the coming weeks to countries such as UAE, India, Brazil, the U.S. and other European countries.