Dassault now has two Falcon 10X prototypes in flight test

Dassault has confirmed that a second Falcon 10X test aircraft joined the program after a September 24 first flight from Mérignac. The first prototype is flying about three sorties a week as Dassault works toward a delayed 2029 service-entry target.

• Second Falcon 10X prototype first flew on September 24, 2026
• First prototype made its maiden flight on June 19, 2026
• Prototype one is flying about 3 sorties per week from Istres
• Dassault’s target for service entry has moved to 2029
• Mérignac service center has handled 600 maintenance projects since 2016

Dassault’s biggest business jet program has moved into a busier test phase. A second Falcon 10X prototype is now flying after departing the company’s Mérignac site near Bordeaux on September 24, joining the first aircraft, which began flying in June.

The numbers show a program that is active but not rushing. Dassault told AIN the first aircraft is flying about three times a week, with four-hour flights used to expand speed, altitude and angle-of-attack testing. The 10X’s entry-into-service target has shifted to 2029.

That timing matters because the Falcon 10X is Dassault’s answer to the Gulfstream G700/G800 and Bombardier Global 7500/8000 class. A second flying aircraft is a real step forward, but the 2029 target also shows how certification has become slower and more demanding for new large jets.