ExecuJet Completes First Falcon 8X C-Inspection at Subang Airport; Stefano Villanti Named Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters
Why It MattersThe milestone signals expanding regional MRO capacity for large-cabin Falcon jets in Asia-Pacific as the in-service fleet ages into heavy-check requirements.
ExecuJet MRO Services has completed the first Falcon 8X C-inspection at its heavy maintenance facility at Subang Airport near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on an aircraft operationally based in Asia. A Falcon C-inspection is a major maintenance check involving extensive inspection of aircraft structures and systems, typically required after eight years of service.
The Subang facility holds FAA and EASA approvals to work on Dassault's in-production Falcon models, and Falcon aircraft currently account for 60% to 65% of the facility's total maintenance workload, according to ExecuJet. The facility has previously carried out heavy checks on the Falcon 2000EX, Falcon 900LX and Falcon 7X, and has also handled cabin refurbishment and repaint work on Falcon aircraft. Data from Asian Sky Group shows close to 20 Falcon 8X aircraft currently operating in the Asia-Pacific region, and ExecuJet said additional Falcon 8X C-inspections are scheduled at Subang this year on aircraft arriving from other parts of Asia. "Completing the first C-inspection on a Falcon 8X demonstrates the growing confidence Falcon operators have in our facility and technical capabilities," said Ivan Lim, regional vice president for Asia at ExecuJet MRO Services.
The Falcon 8X is a three-engine, ultra-long-range business jet developed as a stretched derivative of the Falcon 7X, first flown in February 2015 and certified in June 2016 before entering service later that year. It is powered by three Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D engines, has a maximum range of approximately 6,450 nautical miles, and its fuselage is roughly 3.6 feet longer than the Falcon 7X's, giving it the longest cabin in the Falcon range while retaining a maximum seating capacity of 19 passengers.
Separately, Leonardo has appointed Stefano Villanti as Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, effective 1 September 2026. Villanti has spent the past decade in senior leadership roles within Leonardo Helicopters, most recently leading the division's sales, marketing and contracts functions over the last three years, and will now be responsible for the division's customer commitments, industrial strategy and growth objectives. "Leonardo is a major global player in the rotorcraft industry — a sector that, like much of the wider Aerospace, Defence and Security landscape, is navigating a period of considerable change," Villanti said. Leonardo Helicopters reported first-quarter 2026 revenues of €1.226 billion, up 5.6% from a year earlier, with 29 helicopters delivered in the period, while the wider Leonardo group posted 2025 revenues of €19.5 billion, up 11% on the previous year.
