Full Breakdown
Dassault Aviation Inaugurates New Production Facility in Cergy
9/26/2025, 12:29:57 AM
Overview of the New Facility
On September 23, 2025, Dassault Aviation inaugurated its new production facility in Cergy, located northwest of Paris. This marks the first new manufacturing site for the French aerospace company since the 1970s. The ceremony was attended by Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, alongside local officials, military authorities, and representatives from the regional industrial ecosystem. The Cergy facility, operational since the summer of 2024, replaces the outdated Argenteuil plant, with the transition of staff and equipment expected to continue until January 2025.
Key Features and Production Focus
The Cergy plant spans a total area of 110,760 square meters, including 39,700 square meters dedicated to production. It is equipped with a fully solar-powered roof, advanced ventilation systems, intelligent lighting, and integrated green spaces. The facility specializes in the assembly of skin panels and small parts for the Falcon business jets and Rafale fighter aircraft, as well as the outfitting of Rafale fuselages and production of metallic piping. The small parts production has been reassigned to Dassault’s Seclin plant, allowing Cergy to focus on complex assemblies.
Strategic Importance and Economic Implications
Éric Trappier emphasized the significance of the new facility, stating, “This is a question of sovereignty, which is particularly vital in the current context. It is also an economic and social imperative, to meet the challenge of reindustrializing our country and creating jobs.” The Cergy site is part of Dassault’s broader strategy to enhance production capabilities in response to increasing demand for both Rafale fighters and Falcon jets. The company plans to ramp up Rafale production to three aircraft per month by 2026, reflecting a growing workforce that has expanded from approximately 12,000 to 14,500 employees in recent years.
Broader Context and Future Outlook
The establishment of the Cergy facility is positioned as a critical step in revitalizing France's aerospace sector and maintaining its industrial expertise. The Rafale fighter jet, designed to be free from US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), allows France greater flexibility in export negotiations, reinforcing the sovereignty argument presented by Trappier. With new orders anticipated from countries like India, the facility is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting future production demands for both domestic and international markets.
Official Statements
During the inauguration, Trappier remarked, “For a French industrialist, attached to his country, its territories and its jobs, inaugurating a new factory represents an incomparable joy and pride.” This sentiment underscores the facility's role in supporting France's industrial resurgence and commitment to maintaining a robust aerospace sector.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is Dassault Aviation’s first new production facility since the 1970s. It sends a positive signal to the aerospace sector and to industry as a whole. France possesses unique expertise that we must preserve and develop within our national territory. This is a question of sovereignty, which is particularly vital in the current context. It is also an economic and social imperative, to meet the challenge of reindustrializing our country and creating jobs,” — Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation
- “France possesses unique expertise that we must preserve and develop within our national territory.” — Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation
- “This is a question of sovereignty, which is particularly vital in the current context.” — Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation
The Cergy facility represents a significant milestone for Dassault Aviation and the French aerospace industry, aiming to bolster production capabilities and enhance national sovereignty in the defense sector.
