What would you guess is the new hot aviation market? Did you answer Vietnam? Dassault Aviation has delivered five aircraft there, including three in the last 18 months with another on the way. The operators, including charter/management firms Bluesky Airways and Hai Au Aviation, are new to business aviation, but are quick learners. Dassault has been supporting them in bringing their flight operations fully up to speed.
Vietnam, I have learned recently, may be the fast growing economy in the world, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers. By 2050, it could be the 10th largest economy in the world.
Which all means that Dassault must be prepared to support a growing fleet there and in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region. This was part of the thinking a few years ago when Dassault launched a worldwide expansion of its factory service network, with further investments in inventory and global coordination through the Falcon Command Center in Bordeaux-Mérignac.
Vietnamese operators benefit from the proximity of ExecuJet MRO Services Kuala Lumpur, and especially from ExecuJet technical representative Nicolas Séailles. Nicolas arrived in Hanoi to support the delivery of a new Falcon 2000LXS, the first Vietnamese-registered Falcon, in December 2020 and has become an indispensable resource for the country’s operators.
He trained technicians on the Falcon aircraft with remote support from FlightSafety International; assisted in planning first international flights with remote support from our Falcon Operation Support Group in Saint Cloud; helped establish the company’s CAMO organization; and coordinated parts deliveries and core returns with ExecuJet KL.
The 2000LXS operated with 100-percent dispatch reliability, so pleasing the customer that Hai Au upgraded to two Falcon 8X aircraft for longer-range missions.
Nicolas quickly became “just” another member of the team and found himself often out in the evenings with Hai Au colleagues talking Falcons over Shrimp Nem, he tells us. He reports that Hai Au and other operators have gained capability and confidence very quickly. Hai Au, known previously for operating a fleet of Cessna Caravans on floats, has become fully autonomous in managing its 8X jets.
Back here in France, we decided that Vietnam’s growing appreciation for Falcons merited more local support, so ExecuJet dispatched Benjamin Anger to increase support from Hanoi. Similar to Nicolas, Benjamin has brought extensive Falcon experience and product knowledge gained at Dassault Falcon Service to ExecuJet KL.
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Falcon Customer Service & Service Center Network
Dassault Aviation
