Dassault Aviation is now producing 2 Rafale aircraft per month, doubling production, but could increase up to three in case of new export contracts.
The manufacturer, which doubled its monthly production in 2015 after having earned his first two contracts for 24 aircraft each with Egypt and Qatar , hopes to sign a contract for 36 units with India and discuss with other prospects, including Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. “I have stabilized for now the production line of two (planes) before moving on to three if the contracts are coming” , said the CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier, during the press day of the fair the EBACE business aviation, which opens in Geneva on Tuesday. “I can not commit myself on the fact of whether it will happen this year, I set myself a position of being able to sign a third or fourth contract ” , he added.
The hope of new contracts
The manufacturer, which hopes to finally sign a contract of 36 Rafale with India, no longer ventures to predictions on any timing. “The ball is not in my court, ball is in the hands of the Indian authorities ” , simply said Eric Trappier. If Dassault Aviation can not sign new export contracts, the manufacturer slowly decrease its production to return to a monthly rate of one per month, he said.
