Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 7X business jet cleared for operation at London City Airport

The Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom has allowed operation of Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 7X business jet at London City Airport.

Photo: Dassault Falcon &x business jet

The permission paves the way for the ultra-long-range Falcon 7X jet to land and take off from the heart of the United Kingdom’s financial centre along with the Dassault Falcon 900, 50 and 10 series, according to John Rosanvallon, president and chief executive of Dassault Falcon Jet. 

The media quoted Rosanvallon as saying in a statement: “Flying into London City was a goal from the early development of the Falcon 7X programme. The addition of the 7X offers the most range and cabin size of any business jet permitted to fly into and out of London City Airport.” 

The Falcon 7X jet, according to Rosanvallon, offers the most range and cabin size of any business jet permitted to fly into and out of London City Airport and “connects the heart of one of the world’s largest financial centres with non-stop access to the United States, Europe and the Middle East.” Dassault Aviation, based in France, makes military, regional and business jets. It is a subsidiary of Dassault Group. 

London City Airport – a single-runway, short-takeoff and landing (STOL) airport – mainly caters to the financial district of London. 

As per the Civil Aviation Authority rules, to operate to and from London City Airport, an aircraft must show exacting performance in order to approach, land and take off on the airport’s short runway, which is situated at the centre of London. An aircraft using London City Airport also has to meet strict environmental standards that regulate aircraft noise. 

In the case of the Falcon 7X jet, the company said, the noise level was measured in the same category as a much smaller turboprop plane. 

According to the Dassault Aviation statement, the operational process for approval to use London City Airport had started in April 2008 when the Falcon 7X business jet was granted “steep approach approval” from the European Aviation Safety Agency. “Approval flights” at London City Airport began six months afterwards. 

London City Airport’s instrument landing system has a 5.5° glideslope, compared with the normal 3° for reasons of noise abatement, and this would let most jet aircraft to arrive over the runway too fast to land, Dassault Aviation explained.  

The website flightglobal.com quoted Philippe Deleume, chief test pilot of Dassault Aviation, as remarking: “Flying into London City Airport requires precision and stability in the handling and speed of the aircraft.” The digital flight control system on the Falcon 7X ensures that those requirements are met while landing and taking off from one of the world’s most challenging airports, Deleume added. 

The French aircraft manufacturer said that a pilot training curriculum has been developed in association with the Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom.