Dassault Falcon Service (DFS, Booth S103) is launching a lower-cost refurbishment option for Falcon 2000/900 owners. “We were looking for a ‘wow’ effect that would be compatible with a limited budget,” Nicolas Gossart, engineering department manager for the Paris Le Bourget Airport-based company, told AIN. He found that adding elements in the cabin was much less expensive than removing or modifying some others.

With that principle in mind, DFS’s engineers took inspiration from Dassault’s most recent Falcon designs. The idea is to make a 12- or 15-year-old cabin interior look more modern. Adding mirrors to a partition wall, for example, make it look like a partly transparent wall. “But it is much less expensive,” Gossart said.

A credenza can be transformed into a divan. An upholstered seat just has to be added on the top. Overall, the cabin interior can be made to look almost new without re-veneering wood, a costly job.

Gossart described the philosophy of such changes as similar to home staging. “Downtime is reduced because a lot of preparation work can be done before the aircraft arrives at the workshop,” he added.

As a result, DFS estimates, it can offer a cabin refurbishment for one third less than the conventional price. The service branch targets Falcon 900s and 2000s that are scheduled to come to DFS's facilities for heavy maintenance. The first such refurbishment could take place next year, according to Gossart.