FAA Proposes to Supersede Airworthiness Directive for Dassault Falcon 7X Airplanes With New Airworthiness Limitations
Why It MattersSuccessive tightening of structural and safe-life limits on the Falcon 7X widens the maintenance-program obligations carried by operators of this large-cabin type and raises the compliance workload for its fleet.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2024-15-04, which applies to certain Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X airplanes. That AD requires operators to revise their maintenance or inspection program to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA states that it has since determined that further new or more restrictive limitations are necessary.
AD 2024-15-04 was prompted by a mandatory continuing airworthiness information item from EASA, the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, and was based on EASA AD 2024-0033, dated January 31, 2024. It required incorporation of the limitations in Dassault Falcon 7X Maintenance Manual, Airworthiness Limitations, Chapter 5-40 (DGT 107838), Revision 12, dated June 2023. The FAA issued it to address reduced structural integrity and reduced control of the airplane due to the failure of system components.
EASA has since superseded its original AD with EASA AD 2025-0122 (May 28, 2025), then EASA AD 2025-0229 (October 20, 2025), and then EASA AD 2026-0171, dated September 4, 2026, which covers all Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X airplanes. It specifies new or more restrictive limitations for airplane structures and safe life limits, as set out in Chapter 5-40 (DGT 107838), Revision 15, dated June 2026.
The FAA proposes to retain the incorporation by reference of EASA AD 2024-0033 and to incorporate EASA AD 2026-0171 by reference, with any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text. Operators would need to revise their maintenance or inspection programs, and compliance with the limitations is required under 14 CFR 91.403(c) and 91.409(e). Operators of airplanes that have been modified, altered or repaired in the affected areas, and that cannot accomplish the revised actions, must request approval of an alternative method of compliance under paragraph (n)(1) of the proposed AD.
