SAINT-CLOUD, France - Dassault Falcon Service has announced plans to build a heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in southwestern France.

The 7,200 sq. meter facility will be built on a parcel of land adjacent to the Dassault Aviation manufacturing plant and will serve Falcon 7X, 8X and 5X large cabin aircraft. It will complement DFS's existing MR&O installations at Le Bourget Airport near Paris.

"The new Merignac service center reflects Dassault Falcon Service's commitment to keep up with the steady expansion of the Falcon fleet, which now numbers more than 2,000 aircraft worldwide, and make sure customers continue benefiting from the top-notch service they've come to enjoy," said Jean Kayanakis, General Manager, Dassault Falcon Service.

The new facility, capable of accommodating six aircraft, is expected to commence operations in mid-2016, in time to handle initial C Checks for the fast-selling Falcon 7X, and will eventually employ up to 70 specialists and technicians. More than 230 Falcon 7X's are now in operation and the fleet leaders (the oldest aircraft in the fleet) will begin requiring heavy maintenance by 2016.

The decision to locate the new maintenance facility in Merignac was motivated by the large pool of skilled aviation workers and subcontractors in the Bordeaux area and the multiple benefits offered by the nearby Dassault Aviation assembly plant, such as paint shops.

Dassault Falcon Service is part of the Dassault company-owned service network which comprises three heavy service centers offering all levels of scheduled maintenance, airframe and engine maintenance, paintwork, interior modifications, avionics installation and upgrade. These centers are located in Little Rock, Arkansas; Wilmington, Delaware; and Le Bourget, France.

The network also includes a major service center located in Reno, Nevada which provides all levels of scheduled maintenance and engine/APU line maintenance services. A line service center in Sorocaba, Brazil is capable of full A inspection, avionics upgrade, and engine/APU line maintenance. All Dassault facilities offer 24/7 AOG support, unscheduled maintenance and troubleshooting service.

Additionally, seven satellite service stations in Van Nuys, California; St. Louis, Missouri; West Palm Beach, Florida; London, England; Rome, Italy; Moscow, Russia; and Nice, France are capable of troubleshooting and unscheduled maintenance.

Source: Dassault Aviation