Dassault Aviation has released its financial results for the fiscal year 2023 and discussed its strategic plans for the upcoming year.
The company’s revenue for 2023 amounted to €4.8 billion, a 31% drop compared to 2022. However, the group recorded a record adjusted net income of €886 million.
Dassault Aviation’s order book increased in 2023 primarily due to the success of the Rafale. The total order backlog of 295 aircraft amounted to €38.5 billion.
“Since the beginning of the Rafale program, a total of 495 Rafale aircraft have been ordered,” Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, commented.
In 2023, France ordered 42 new Rafale jets, while the third and final batch of 18 fighters of the Indonesian contract was activated. Falcon orders were slightly below forecasts, standing at 23 aircraft against 64 a year before.
Supply chain disruptions led to the delivery of 13 Rafale and 26 Falcons, which fell short of the expected 15 and 35 deliveries, respectively.
“Supply chain issues that arose during the Covid crisis continue to have a severe impact on sub-contractors in the aviation industry, which are not always able to deliver the required quality or meet deadlines,” the group commented.
To address these disruptions, a ‘centralized steering plan’ has been implemented, but these risks are expected to still weigh on its activity in 2024.
Dassault Aviation is working on advancing its defense programs. It achieved initial operational capability for the first Rafale fighter upgraded to the F4.1 standard for the French Air and Space Force on February 16, 2024. Additionally, Dassault received the order of phase 1B of the FCAS demonstrator and is continuing the development of the Eurodrone.
Efforts are also ongoing to develop Dassault’s Falcon 10X business jet. Certification for the Falcon 6X was obtained in August 2023, with its first delivery in February 2024.
For 2024, Dassault Aviation forecasts increased revenue compared to 2023, reaching around €6 billion. The company aims to maintain development commitments and secure new contracts.