Dassault Aviation released 2014 order and delivery data on January 28, with the latter experiencing a decline in performance. Last year, the company delivered 66 Falcon business jets, compared with 77 in 2013. Other figures combine civil and military activities, with revenues amounting to €3.68 billion ($4.18 billion), down by 20 percent.

In contrast, the combined order intake was worth €4.64 billion ($5.27 billion), up by 11 percent. This reflects what John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet, already deemed “a good year” for business jets in mid-December. The first three quarters, with 67 sales, outperformed all of 2013. In addition, Falcon salesmen had a good fourth quarter, Rosanvallon told AIN.

However, not all regions contributed to the increase. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) accounted for around 15 percent of 2014 sales. China particularly has been a disappointment for business jet manufacturers, according to Rosanvallon. On the positive side, the U.S. “has woken up at last” and sales in Northern Europe were deemed satisfactory. As of December 31, the backlog included 121 Falcons. More details can be expected on March 11, when Dassault releases its full 2014 performance.

Meanwhile, the first flight of the 6,450-nm Falcon 8X, a stretched version of the 7X, is imminent.