Dassault Aviation To Slow Production

January 19, 2009

French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation confirmed it planned to slow corporate jet production but said on Monday it would not delay the launch of a new generation of Falcon planes.

"We confirm that we are revising down the production pace," a company spokesman said, adding that he was referring to corporate jet output.

French daily Les Echos had reported Dassault Aviation planned to reduce production by 25 percent and delay the launch of a new generation of Falcon corporate jets, the Falcon SMS.

The spokesman said work was continuing normally on the Falcon SMS.

"The project is not delayed sine die (indefinitely). The plane is launched but we have not said when it would be commercially available," he said.

Dassault Aviation now planned to produce eight Falcon jets a month instead of 12 between now and mid-2011, Les Echos said. The production rate of Rafale jet fighters was also expected to drop to one a month from 1.25.

The spokesman declined to discuss any figures cited in the newspaper article.

Les Echos said the measure had been announced at a workers' committee meeting.

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