The Costs to Own and Operate a Falcon 7X

Written by Nick Copley

Published: 13 June 2017

The Dassault Falcon 7X took its first flight in 2005, and was first delivered to a customer in
2007. This large cabin business jet has a range of almost 6,000 nm. Here’s a breakdown on the
costs to buy and operate one.

Purchase Prices

The list price of a new Falcom 7X is currently about $54m. A 7 to 9 year old one, built in 2008
to 2010, will cost in the region of $19m to $24m, a 3 to 4-year-old 7X is typically $27m to
$34m. Prices on second-hand ones vary depending on the level of use, maintenance, record
keeping, and upkeep.

Cabin

The main cabin is 39ft 1in (11.91m) long and 6 ft 2in (1.88m) high. There are several different
floor plans with seating capacity for up to 19, although 12 is a more typical configuration. The
cabin is typically split into three areas and can be fitted to accommodate beds or even an onboard
shower.
Specs

The aircraft employs three Pratt & Whitney PW307A engines, making it one of only a few trijets
in production. The maximum altitude of 51,000 feet (15,500m) means that it can fly higher than
most commercial airliners. With 8 passengers it has a range of 5,950 nm, allowing it to connect
city pairs such as London to Los Angeles, New York to Moscow, Paris to Tokyo or Shanghai to
Seattle.

Cockpit & Performance

The 7X was the industry’s first fly-by-wire business jet and offers Dassault Falcon’s EASy flight
deck. The plane is known among its peers for its comparatively short take off and landing
abilities, allowing it to access some airports that other large business jets just can't get to. The
three Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A turbofans deliver 6,400 pounds of thrust each. They
have proven to be reliable with their time between overhauls of 7,200 hours or roughly 14 years
of typical operation.
In the example below we’ve assumed a second hand Falcon 7X and that it will be used by the
owner for 200 hours a year and also chartered out for an additional 200 hours a year. From the
chartering, the owner receives a net $5,600 an hour and then also has to pay for fuel and some
other variable costs.

ANNUAL FIXED COSTS

 Item   Costs 
 Crew Expense  $344,663  
 Crew Training  $91,300  
 Hangar  $71,400  
 Insurance  $42,000  
 Aircraft Misc.  $28,500  
 Management/Marketing Fee  $125,000  
 Total Fixed Cost per Year  $702,863  

ANNUAL VARIABLE COSTS

 Item   Costs 
  Fuel Gallons  70,000 
 Fuel Cost (@ $4.25/gallon)  $297,500 
 Maintenance  $75,000 
 Engine/APU Maintenance  $140,000 
 Crew Misc.  $70,000 
 Total Variable Cost  $582,500 

CHARTER REVENUE AND CONTRIBUTION

 Item   Costs 
 Charter Rate / hour  $5,600 
 Charter Hours  200 
 Charter Revenue  $1,120,000 
 Variable Cost of Charter  ($512,500) 
 Net Charter Profit/Contribution  $607,500 

ANNUAL OPERATIONAL COST SUMMARY

 Item   Costs 
 Fixed Cost  $702,863 
 Variable Cost  $582,500 
 Total Annual Cost  $1,285,363 
 Net Charter Profit  ($607,500) 
 NET Annual Cost  $677,863 
 Owner Hours Flown  200 
 Owner Cost / Hour (W/O Charter)  $6,426  
 Owner Cost / Hour (With Charter)  $3,389  

The owners' cost per owner hour is $6,426 under the above scenario and this drops to $3,389 per
hour with the contribution from the charter revenue. These calculations do not include any
depreciation or loan payments.

As with any aircraft acquisition, the decision to purchase a Dassault Falcon 7X as opposed to a
fractional ownership or a jet card should be made after reviewing your needs and considering the
alternative options. This article has a step by step guide for buying an aircraft.

The numbers above are courtesy of Aircraft Cost Calculator.