Final testing and certification phase 

Now ready. That's how Dassault Aviation's new twin-engine business jet, the Falcon 6X, can be described. It is entering the final phase of its certification flight test campaign with EASA and the FAA, paving the way for the twin-engine extra-large jet to enter service in mid-2023. Last summer, one of the three flight test aircraft underwent hot weather testing in the Tunisian desert. The tests, conducted in temperatures up to 48°C, were designed to confirm that the aircraft could operate properly in high heat and with adequate cooling during flight circuits over the desert at 10,000 feet (3,000 m). They complemented cold weather tests conducted last winter in northern Canada to demonstrate safe operation in ultra-cold temperatures down to -38°C. High-altitude flight tests on a 9,070-foot (2,764 m) runway in Telluride, Colorado, were also successfully completed.

World Demonstration-Promotion Tour 

In August, the aircraft's 13,500-pound thrust Pratt & Whitney 812D engine was certified by EASA. FAA approval is pending. A full-flight simulator has been commissioned at CAE Burgess Hill in the U.K. and will be ready to begin training 6X customer crews in April. At the end of July, the first production 6X landed after a round-the-world demonstration campaign designed to show the full maturity and reliability of the aircraft's systems. The campaign included 50 flights on five continents and covered 50,000 nm.

EASy IV cockpit

Pilots gave high marks to all systems, including the new EASy IV cockpit features, and rated the performance as "perfect." Connectivity during the demonstration flight was reported as excellent, even in the more remote stages of the circuit. In flight, measurements and passenger feedback confirmed that the 6X will be the quietest Falcon to date.

The 19th Falcon 6X undergoing final assembly

The 6X has been operating at a high rate, logging up to five flights on some days. The longest leg of the tour was the Paris-Los Angeles flight, completed in 11 hours and 25 minutes. The flight, which covered 5,150 nautical miles (9,537, 8 km) against strong headwinds, was flown with a full fuel reserve. The 19th Falcon 6X is currently on the final assembly line while three customer aircraft are nearing completion at Dassault's domestic facility in Little Rock, Arkansas.