IATA DF3ICAO FA50

Dassault Falcon 50

Dassault

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Trijet business aircraft with intercontinental range.

First flight

1976

Category

Business jet

Seating

8–9 passengers

Range

5,695 km

Engines

Three Honeywell TFE731-3 turbofan engines (TFE731-40 on 50EX)

Status

In service

The Dassault Falcon 50 is a French long-range business jet developed by Dassault Aviation, drawing heavily on the aerodynamic design of the Falcon 10 and Falcon 20. It introduced a three-engine configuration and a supercritical wing to deliver intercontinental range with improved fuel efficiency, and it first flew in November 1976 before entering service in 1979. The aircraft typically seats 8 to 9 passengers in a comfortable club-style cabin and became popular with corporate operators, governments, and military VIP transport units worldwide. Its three-engine layout provided an additional safety margin over twin-engine jets of the era, making it attractive for oceanic and remote operations. The Falcon 50 was later succeeded by the Falcon 50EX, an upgraded variant featuring more capable TFE731-40 engines that extended range and improved performance. Production of both variants continued until 2008, and a significant number remain in active service today with corporate and government operators globally.

Notable operators

Operated by numerous corporate flight departments, government agencies, and military VIP transport units including the French Air Force and Italian Air Force.

Notable facts

›First flew on 7 November 1976 at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport.
›The Falcon 50EX variant, introduced in 1996, offered improved engines and longer range.
›Features a supercritical wing design derived from Dassault's military aircraft research.
›Production ended in 2008 after approximately 350 aircraft were built across both variants.
›The three-engine design was chosen partly to enable ETOPS-equivalent safety over water and remote regions.