Dassault is expecting imminent approval for London City airport operations by its Falcon 2000LX – which will make the entire Falcon range available for Private Jet Charter flights to and from the east London airfield popular with City bankers and business people.
The secret is an autobraking function, certificated in June, that kicks in as soon as the main landing gear touches the runway, to cut landing distances by as much as 45m (150ft) on normal approaches or 90m on steep approaches
Dassault chief test pilot Philippe Deleume commented: “The system is transparent to the pilot. It is like landing with the brake pedals pushed forward.” The 2000LX is already certificated by the European Aviation Safety Agency for steep approach, and the flagship Falcon 7X was approved for London City air charter operations last year.
The airport is located amid London’s East End skyscrapers, and the runway is just 1,319m at landing and 1,199m at take-off. Noise restrictions are also strict.