Dassault Falcon 8X

The Dassault Falcon 8X grew out of the Falcon 7X: the fuselage is 1.1 m longer, it carries more fuel and its three Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D engines give about 5 % more thrust. The cabin is 13.00 m long without cockpit and baggage hold, 1.88 m high and 2.34 m wide. Charter aircraft typically have 12 to 14 seats in three zones, and the type certificate allows 19.

These are the trips where the Falcon 8X makes most sense: a family heading to the Indian Ocean for the holidays, or a business group flying to South Africa or California with everyone able to sleep on the way. The cabin is narrower than in a G650 or a Global jet, which shows most at a table for four.

Cabin: 13 metres in three zones

Dassault offered more than 30 cabin layouts, so two aircraft of the type can look very different inside. A typical charter Falcon 8X has four club seats at the front, a table with four seats in the middle and a divan with armchairs or a small lounge at the rear, which turns into a bed. With six on board everyone can sleep flat; a larger group partly sleeps in reclined seats.

Most of the differences between aircraft sit at the two ends of the cabin:

Baggage: 3.96 m³ reachable in flight

The Falcon 8X hold is the same size as in the 7X, so the longer cabin brings more seats and floor space but no more room for bags. Six to eight passengers fit large suitcases, skis in bags and golf bags. With 12 or 14 on board there is less space than in a Gulfstream G650 or a Global 6000, each with 5.52 m³, so for a large group with a lot of luggage give the number of pieces in the request.

On transatlantic and Indian Ocean sectors with every seat taken, the operator calculates the weight of the bags together with the fuel. On European legs this hardly ever matters.

Range, runways and airports

Dassault quotes the Falcon 8X range at Mach 0.80 with NBAA IFR reserves. The route table plans non-stop Falcon 8X legs up to about 10,100 km, which covers the US East and West Coasts, the Caribbean, South Africa and the Indian Ocean from Western Europe. With a full cabin and strong winter headwind, the longest westbound sectors such as Munich - Los Angeles may need a fuel stop, and the operator confirms it for the actual date.

With 33,112 kg at most on take-off, the Falcon 8X uses airports closed to the larger Gulfstream and Global jets:

• Cannes-Mandelieu: the limit is 35 t, so the jet lands next to Cannes instead of Nice. The 1,539 m runway means less fuel on departure, and a long sector starts from Nice
• London City: the type is approved for the 5.5 degree steep approach, but the aircraft, the crew and the operator all need the approval, and the 1,508 m runway limits take-off weight
• New York: Teterboro limits aircraft above about 45 t, which does not affect the Falcon 8X
• French Alps: the 537 m sloped altiport at Courchevel is too short for this type and needs a special qualification, so the jet lands in Chambéry or Geneva

The cockpit has FalconEye, a head-up display that combines infrared camera images with a synthetic view of the terrain and helps the crew on approaches in poor visibility. Whether it gives lower landing minimums depends on the operator's approval.

Flying the type in Europe

Falcon 8X routes and prices

Thirty Falcon 8X routes from all thirteen hubs, from Zurich - Olbia (1:21 h) to London - Mauritius (11:45 h), every one without a fuel stop. Prices are one way for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time follows the great circle plus taxi, climb and approach; for Delhi, Mumbai and Hong Kong the distance already includes a detour around closed airspace.

Up to two hours: short hops at the price floor

Two to four hours: Cyprus, the Aegean, Morocco and the Canaries

Over four hours: from the Canaries to California and the Indian Ocean

• New York from London (6:51 h), Paris (7:12 h) or Munich (7:57 h) leaves a large reserve, so a full cabin and headwind rarely change the plan
• Munich - Los Angeles (9,594 km), London - Mauritius (9,789 km) and Larnaca - Hong Kong (9,315 km) are close to the planning limit; with every seat taken and heavy bags the operator may add a stop for the actual day
• Routes to the Gulf, India, the Maldives and Hong Kong depend on which airspace is open, and the exact flight time comes with the quote
• Tokyo, Singapore from Western Europe, Sydney and Santiago de Chile need a fuel stop and are quoted case by case

On the five hops under two hours the jet uses neither its range nor its longer cabin. For such trips with a few passengers a Falcon 2000LX or the shorter Falcon 7X costs less, and we quote one alongside.

The calculator shows an indicative Falcon 8X price for any route you choose, including departures from regional airports across Europe.

How much does a Falcon 8X charter cost

The flight-hour rate starts at EUR 12,500 for the whole aircraft, with crew and fuel. On short legs the total is clearly above the rate multiplied by flight time: positioning, the operator's minimum charge and handling form a fixed part. Geneva - London costs EUR 25,000 for 1:22 h and Munich - Palma EUR 31,000 for 1:54 h.

On long Falcon 8X sectors the price per hour rises again, since operators count the long duty day, a third pilot and cabin attendant on the longest legs and several days away from base. London - New York costs EUR 87,000, Nice - Mauritius EUR 130,000 and Larnaca - Hong Kong EUR 140,000. The price is the same for two passengers or fourteen.

The price covers the whole aircraft, so on London - New York the cost per person falls with every seat taken:

Ways to lower the price

Empty Legs on this type

The Falcon 8X is less common in Europe than the Falcon 7X, so its empty legs are rarer and appear mostly on long sectors: across the Atlantic, between Europe and the Gulf, and on returns to Paris, Geneva or London. When one fits, the price can be 30-60% below a normal charter, as an example, not a promise. Date and route are set by the operator, the leg can be cancelled if the aircraft gets a full charter, and the return is booked separately.

To catch one, send the route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page, and we write when a suitable aircraft appears. A 7X or a Global on the same route is often worth watching too.

Falcon 8X, Falcon 7X, G650 or Global 6000

Clients usually weigh the Falcon 8X against the shorter 7X it was developed from, the Gulfstream G650 and G550 and the Bombardier Global 6000.

How to book

Send us:

• route, dates and preferred departure times for both directions
• number of passengers and how many need a bed on a night sector
• baggage, especially skis, golf bags and oversized items
• a dog or cat on board, with breed, weight and carrier size
• wishes such as a shower, fast internet, London City or Cannes-Mandelieu, so that we offer only aircraft that have them

We check free aircraft with operators holding an AOC and send a quote naming the operator, the aircraft, its layout, positioning and taxes.

Questions about the Falcon 8X

• • How much does a Falcon 8X cost from London to Los Angeles?

  • From EUR 130,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Farnborough to Van Nuys in about 10:33 h without a stop. Airport fees, UK Air Passenger Duty and the crew's stay before a return come on top. With a full cabin and strong headwind the operator may plan a fuel stop.

• • What does London - New York cost per person?

  • The aircraft costs from EUR 87,000 one way, so with eight passengers it is about EUR 10,900 each and with twelve about EUR 7,200. The table price does not change with the number of passengers.

• • Why is a short flight so expensive per hour?

  • Positioning, the operator's minimum charge and handling cost about the same on a short hop as on a long one. Geneva - London (1:22 h) costs EUR 25,000, while on Nice - Dubai (6:01 h) at EUR 78,000 that fixed part is spread over more hours.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Falcon 8X?

  • Sometimes, mostly when a Falcon 8X returns across the Atlantic or from the Gulf. They can be 30-60% cheaper than a normal charter in some cases, but date and route are fixed and the leg can be cancelled. Watching the Falcon 7X on the same route widens the chance.

• • What is the difference between the Falcon 8X and the Falcon 7X?

  • The fuselage is 1.1 m longer, the engines more powerful and the fuel capacity larger, so the range is 11,945 km against 11,019 km. Cabin height and width are the same. The extra length goes into a bigger galley, a crew rest area or another seating zone.

• • How many people can sleep on board?

  • In a typical Falcon 8X six people sleep on flat seats and divans. By day 12 to 14 fit, so on a night flight with more passengers some sleep in reclined seats.

• • Is there a shower?

  • Only in some aircraft, as the shower was an option. Every Falcon 8X has an enclosed washroom with a washbasin at the rear. Mention it in the request and we search only among aircraft that have one.

• • Can the jet land at London City, Cannes and Courchevel?

  • London City yes, when the aircraft, crew and operator are approved for the steep approach. Cannes-Mandelieu too, because the jet weighs less than 35 t. Courchevel no: the altiport is too short, so the jet lands in Chambéry or Geneva.

• • Can we fly non-stop to Mauritius?

  • Yes. Nice - Mauritius takes about 10:36 h and costs from EUR 130,000 one way; from London it is 11:45 h and EUR 145,000. The route depends on open airspace, so the operator confirms the time in the quote.

• • Can I take my dog?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin, if the operator agrees before booking. The dog needs the papers of the arrival country, and for Mauritius, the USA or the UK we check the local animal rules before departure.