Dassault Falcon Service (DFS), a Dassault Aviation subsidiary based in Paris-Le Bourget, has completed the conversion of a Falcon 900B from passenger configuration to full cargo in a mere eight days.
The conversion, involving a company-owned aircraft, took eight days from reception of the order to approval by French Civil Aviation authorities, granted under a fast-track exemption. The project entailed stripping passenger seats and furnishings and installing equipment to stow and secure freight. No major modifications to access doors or other systems were undertaken, and the conversion is readily reversible back to passenger configuration. The modification involved customer service, engineering and operating teams from DFS, as well as test and certification resources from Dassault Aviation.
The converted aircraft has a capacity of 13.5 cubic meters or 6,325 lbs (2,884kg) and is being used to transport the fabric needed for the production of face masks at a plant in Eastern Europe, and to return completed masks for distribution in France, North Africa and other areas stricken by the Covid-19 pandemic or recovering from the coronavirus lockdown. Flying these materials in a converted business jet offers greater time-efficiency and flexibility than commercial airfreight or ground transport options.
