Today, Dassault Aviation’s all-new Falcon 10X has successfully completed its first flight, demonstrating the program’s maturity and marking the launch of the flight test campaign.
(Saint-Cloud, France, June 19, 2026) – Today, Dassault Aviation’s all-new Falcon 10X has successfully completed its first flight, demonstrating the program’s maturity and marking the launch of the flight test campaign.
“This inaugural flight is another milestone for Dassault,” said Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “It is a reflection of the dedication and high skill of our engineering, production, and flight teams, and also the quality of our global network of partners. All of us are excited to see this day as we launch into a new phase for the 10X.”
Test Pilot Sébastien Dupont de Dinechin and copilot Fabrice Dougnac took off from runway 23 at Bordeaux-Mérignac at 11.10 a.m. for a two-hour and 30-minute flight. The pilots evaluated handling qualities and systems at 15,000 feet, then retracted the landing gear and all movable surfaces before climbing to 40,000 feet, where they accelerated to Mach 0.82. They returned to Bordeaux-Mérignac for a smooth landing at 1.40 p.m.
“Today’s flight was the culmination of years of work by thousands of Dassault employees and partners,” commented de Dinechin. “It paid off in a flight that went as planned and was a delight to fly”.
The first aircraft will be soon followed into the air by a second test aircraft nearing completion, and by a third, that is being outfitted with a full interior and will be used mainly for systems and cabin functional and reliability testing.
Dassault Aviation is the only aircraft manufacturer in the world to have a completely new aircraft in flight in 2026. Dassault’s dual expertise—in civil and defense—is a long-term strength for the company.
With over 10,000 military and civil aircraft (including 2,800 Falcons) delivered in more than 90 countries over the past 110 years, Dassault Aviation has built up expertise recognized worldwide in the design, production, sale and support of all types of aircraft, ranging from the Rafale fighter, to the high-end Falcon family of business jets, military drones and space systems. In 2025, Dassault Aviation had about 15,000 employees and reported revenues of € 7.4 billion.