Gallery: Falcon 10X Takes Off | Aviation Week

Dassault Aviation's Falcon 10X completed its first flight on June 19, 2026, departing from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport with test pilots Sébastien Dupont de Dinechin and Fabrice Dougnac at the controls. The 2-hour, 30-minute sortie reached 45,000 feet and Mach 0.82, marking the formal launch of a flight test campaign that will involve three aircraft before the type enters service, which Dassault anticipates occurring by late 2027. The 10X is the largest Falcon ever produced, stretching 109.6 feet in length with a 110.2-foot wingspan, and is powered by two Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X turbofans generating more than 18,000 pounds of thrust each — an engine developed specifically for this platform.

The aircraft's performance specifications position it as a direct competitor to the Bombardier Global 8000 and Gulfstream G800 in the ultra-long-range large-cabin segment. At Mach 0.85, the Falcon 10X carries a published range of 7,500 nautical miles, nominally trailing both competitors at their optimum cruise speeds. However, Dassault contends that at Mach 0.90 — a speed at which the Pearl 10X and the aircraft's aerodynamic design remain efficient — the 10X will outrange both rivals. A maximum operating Mach number of 0.925 and a service ceiling of 51,000 feet underscore the emphasis on high-speed, high-altitude operations, while the high-aspect-ratio composite wing with a curved trailing edge is engineered to preserve the short-runway field performance that has been a distinguishing characteristic of the Falcon product line for decades.

For operators and flight departments evaluating ultra-long-range aircraft acquisitions, the cabin specifications warrant particular attention. The four-zone interior measures 53.8 feet in length with a width of 9.1 feet — the widest cabin in its competitive class — and maintains a cabin altitude of just 3,000 feet at a cruise altitude of 41,000 feet. That pressurization differential is a meaningful differentiator for passengers on transcontinental and transoceanic missions, reducing physiological fatigue on routes connecting North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific without fuel stops. Flight departments that regularly operate ultra-long-haul charters or corporate missions where passenger condition on arrival is a priority will recognize the operational significance of that figure.

The Falcon 10X enters a test program structured around three airframes, with the third dedicated to cabin systems, reliability, and interior function testing — a layout consistent with modern large-aircraft certification campaigns and indicative of Dassault's intent to deliver a mature product rather than an early-configuration aircraft. The late 2027 entry-into-service target gives fractional ownership programs, charter operators, and corporate flight departments a planning horizon that overlaps with fleet refresh cycles already underway across Part 91K and large-cabin charter markets. Competing programs from Bombardier and Gulfstream have faced certification and delivery timelines of their own in this segment, and Dassault's execution on the 10X test schedule will be closely watched as an indicator of whether the French manufacturer can close the gap with rivals who have had a longer head start in the 7,000-plus-nautical-mile market tier.