Dassault Falcon 900LX

The Dassault Falcon 900LX grew out of the 900EX and keeps its three Honeywell TFE731-60 engines and its cabin. The visible change is a pair of blended winglets from Aviation Partners, which according to Dassault add about 7 % range and 10 % better climb. The manufacturer gives 8,797 km with six passengers, and the take-off run at full weight is only 1,633 m.

For a family or a management team the Falcon 900LX means New York, Toronto, the Gulf and the Canary Islands without a stop, and Sion or Samedan in the ski season. The weak point is the 3.6 m³ hold, smaller than the size of the jet suggests once every seat is taken.

Falcon 900LX cabin: three zones and 24 windows

All 24 windows of the Falcon 900LX light the passenger cabin, which is 10.11 m long, 1.88 m high and 2.34 m wide. Most adults walk upright and pass each other in the aisle without squeezing between the seats.

On an overnight leg to New York with six passengers, several can lie flat while the rest recline. With twelve on board most of the group spends the night in the seats. The galley sits by the entry door, and some aircraft have a second, smaller toilet there for the crew. The main toilet at the end of the cabin has a door and a washbasin.

Baggage: 3.6 m³ behind the cabin

The heated hold of the Falcon 900LX lies behind the aft toilet and opens into the cabin, so a bag can be fetched at any time of the flight. With six passengers on a long Falcon 900LX flight it takes large suitcases for everyone plus skis in covers or golf bags. With twelve or fourteen on board, each person gets one large suitcase and a cabin bag.

On transatlantic legs weight matters as well as volume:

• The 8,797 km apply to six passengers, so with a full cabin and heavy bags the operator recalculates the New York flight for the day
• A large group with a lot of sports equipment is better off in a Legacy 650, whose hold takes 8.1 m³
• On European legs the Falcon 900LX carries far less fuel, and weight is rarely the limit

Performance, short runways and the Alps

Dassault calculates the range of the Falcon 900LX at Mach 0.75 with two pilots, six passengers and NBAA IFR reserves. A faster cruise, a full cabin or strong headwinds over the Atlantic make it shorter, so the operator checks the forecast before confirming a non-stop crossing. In the cockpit, EASy II adds a synthetic view of the terrain.

The short take-off run opens airports that many jets of this size do not use:

In New York the Falcon 900LX uses Teterboro, the business airport closest to Manhattan, well inside its weight limit.

Flying the type in Europe

• EU flight time limitations cap the crew's duty day: after Geneva to New York (7:48 h) the crew rests before flying back, so a return the same day needs an augmented crew
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated, and on winter Saturdays Sion and Samedan fill up as well, so a ski weekend is best fixed early
• An operator from outside the EU, the UK included, cannot normally carry passengers within one EU country, and UK domestic legs are not open to EU operators
• On winter mornings de-icing a jet with a 21.38 m wingspan is charged separately and can be a noticeable sum

Routes from European hubs

From a one-hour hop such as Paris to Geneva to the non-stop crossings to New York and Toronto, the table shows one-way prices for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach, without wind.

Up to 2 hours: city hops and mountain airports

2 to 4 hours: islands and North Africa

Over 4 hours: Canaries, Gulf and across the Atlantic

• In normal winds every route in the table is flown without a stop, Milan to New York (6,466 km, 8:06 h) included
• With a full cabin, heavy bags and strong winter headwinds the operator may still plan a fuel stop in Ireland or Iceland on the crossings
• Gulf routes depend on which airspace is open, so the operator confirms the time in the quote
• Miami and the US West Coast need a stop or a jet such as the Falcon 7X or 8X
• Mykonos gives private aircraft only about 40 minutes on the ground in summer, so the jet parks at another airport

The calculator gives an indicative price for this jet and for other large jets on the route you choose.

Falcon 900LX charter prices

The rate starts at EUR 10,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, and the number of passengers does not change it. A short leg costs well above rate times flight time: Paris Le Bourget to Geneva (0:59 h) starts at EUR 21,000 and Geneva to London (1:23 h) at EUR 25,000, as the operator's minimum charge and the positioning of the aircraft weigh heavily.

Further examples from the table, one way:

• Vienna to London (2:01 h): from EUR 31,000
• Hamburg to Mykonos (3:02 h): from EUR 42,000
• Munich to Dubai (5:53 h): from EUR 68,000
• Geneva to New York (7:48 h): from EUR 85,000

Beyond five hours the price per hour keeps falling, only more slowly, as operators also count the long duty day and a return they may fly without passengers.

Shared among the passengers, Geneva - London Farnborough works out as follows:

How to fly the type for less

For two or three people on a short European leg, a super midsize jet costs far less per hour than the Falcon 900LX.

One-way Empty Legs

The Falcon 900LX flies with several European operators, so Empty Legs turn up regularly, though less often than on the most common midsize jets. Typical ones are returns from New York or the Gulf to Geneva, London or Paris, and repositioning between the Riviera, the Alps and the big hubs after peak weekends. Such legs can cost 40-65 % less than a full charter, as examples, not a promise.

Falcon 900LX compared

Clients usually compare the Falcon 900LX with its predecessor, the twin-engine Falcon with the same cross-section, a Global and a Legacy with a larger hold.

Booking a flight

Send us:

• route, date and departure time
• number of passengers and approximate baggage weight for a flight to North America
• skis, golf bags or a dog or cat, with breed, weight and carrier
• a landing at London City, Lugano or Samedan, so we look only at aircraft with the right approval

We check free Falcon 900LX aircraft with AOC holders and quote with positioning included. Within Schengen there is no passport control, but the operator needs each passenger's passport or ID. EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA, to the USA an approved ESTA and to Canada an eTA. If an operator cancels, we always try to find another aircraft or protect your payment, but each case depends on the operator's contract.

Dassault Falcon 900LX: questions and answers

• • How much does a Falcon 900LX flight cost?

  • From EUR 10,300 per flight hour. Zurich to Ibiza starts at EUR 29,000, Amsterdam to Tenerife at EUR 54,000 and London Farnborough to New York at EUR 77,000, for the whole aircraft one way. Airport fees and passenger taxes are added.

• • What does the price include?

  • The aircraft, two pilots, fuel and positioning. Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering, a flight attendant if charged separately, winter de-icing and crew costs for a multi-day trip appear in the quote item by item.

• • How can I pay less?

  • Accept a 900EX or 900DX with the same cabin on European legs, return the same day on short trips, keep the departure time flexible and ask about Empty Legs, especially one way across the Atlantic.

• • Are there Empty Legs on this jet?

  • Yes, regularly, mostly returns from North America and the Gulf and repositioning after peak weekends. They can be 40-65 % cheaper, with a fixed date and route, and can be withdrawn if the aircraft is sold for a full charter.

• • Can it fly from Geneva to New York without a stop?

  • Yes, the Falcon 900LX covers the 6,208 km to Teterboro in about 7:48 h. Dassault's 8,797 km apply to six passengers, so with a full cabin, heavy bags and strong winter headwinds the operator may plan a fuel stop.

• • How many passengers fit?

  • Usually 12 to 14 in three zones. On a night flight over the Atlantic six to eight is the comfortable number for the Falcon 900LX, as several can then lie flat.

• • How does the 900LX differ from the 900EX?

  • Winglets give about 7 % more range and better climb, and the EASy II cockpit has a synthetic view of the terrain. Cabin, hold and engines are the same. For passengers the gain is the margin over the Atlantic and usually a younger aircraft.

• • Is there a toilet with a door?

  • Yes, at the rear of the cabin, with a washbasin. Some aircraft have a second, smaller toilet near the entrance.

• • Can it land at London City or Samedan?

  • London City with an EASy aircraft, a trained crew and an approved operator, at a limited take-off weight; otherwise we plan Farnborough or Biggin Hill. Samedan works with an experienced crew and a weight calculation for the day.

• • Can our dog come along?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin, if the operator agrees before booking. Within the EU it needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an EU pet passport, plus tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or the UK. The USA and Canada have their own rules, which we check before the flight.