Dassault Falcon Jet investing $60M to expand Arkansas facility
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Completion centre in Little Rock, Ark., will expand by 250,000 square feet
SAINT-CLOUD CEDEX, France—Dassault Aviation says it is investing $60-million to expand its Dassault Falcon Jet assembly facility in Arkansas.
According to the French aircraft maker, its completion centre in Little Rock, Ark., will get the cash injection for new construction and refurbishment of existing facilities over the next three years.
“Little Rock has been a major part of our company identity over the last 38 years and today is the company’s largest industrial facility,” Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier said in a statement.
“The new investment will not only increase capacity but enhance the overall quality and efficiency of the products we provide to our customers.”
The firm said site preparation will kick off in early 2014 and construction will take place through the early part of 2016.
The result will be an increase of 250,000 square feet dedicated to production and assembly.
The project will also include refurbishment of the cabinet, upholstery and headliner shops along with upgrades to older hangars
The expansion will bring the total facility footprint to 1.25 million square feet.
In 2010, Dassault Falcon Jet received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the use of 3D data during the completion process, making it the first OEM to have approval for both 3D type design and completion.
Dassault Aviation delivered 66 Falcon aircraft in 2012.
