As far as business aviation is concerned, we have had to deal with cancellations by Russian customers, as well as a number of support issues and supply chain problems. As a result, our 2022 deliveries are slightly under target. On the other hand, sales have made good progress, with 64 aircraft sold, up from 51 in 2021. The Falcon 6X is scheduled to be certified and to enter into service in 2023. As for the Falcon 10X, our future flagship, its development still has several years to go. These two business jets make us really upbeat about the future. They address our current customers’ needs and are sure to attract new prospective clients. They are backed by the extensive experience of our design office, our dual civil-military expertise and our leadership position with respect to digital technology.
Alongside these commercial and industrial challenges, we are also continuing our efforts to achieve “net zero” by 2050. We are pursuing optimization across the board, whether it be in the area of aerodynamics, materials, engines or navigational aids. In the short term, the most promising development involves Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which offers a reduction of carbon emissions in the range of 80% to 90% compared with conventional jet fuel. All Falcon jets are now certified to use blends containing up to 50% SAF. Our aim is to be using 100% SAF blends by the time the Falcon 10X enters into service. Business aviation is at the cutting edge when it comes to this low-carbon solution because our customers, mainly companies, can afford to use SAF despite the additional cost.
We are making all these efforts in spite of the fact that our industry emits very little CO2: the annual emissions from the 2,100 Falcons in service are equivalent to the emissions produced by a day’s worth of video streaming worldwide! But we need to do our part to address this challenge, and we have no doubt that we’ll succeed in doing so. The aeronautics industry thrives on complexity, and knows how to deal with it. Because it is exposed to extraordinary pressures, it is by its very nature a dynamic business. It has been constantly reinventing itself for over a century, continually re-examining itself and always finding groundbreaking solutions through technological progress.
Lastly, we are modernizing our facilities to gear them up for the future, while at the same time redoubling our CSR and energy efficiency efforts.
