French military aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday to officially open a 100,000-square-meter aircraft parts production and outfitting facility in Cergy, located northwest of Paris. The company has been operating at the site since the summer of 2024, taking over production processes from its phased-out plant in Argenteuil.
The Cergy plant is Dassault’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,” company chairman and CEO Éric Trappier said during the opening ceremony, attended by employees, local officials and industry representatives.
The Cergy facility is responsible for assembling skin panels, small parts and forward fuselages for the Rafale and Falcon aircraft. It also manages the outfitting of the Rafale fuselages and the production of metal hoses. With a production area of 40,000 square meters, the facility employs over 600 individuals, including engineers, technicians, foremen and skilled workers, most of whom transferred from the former plant in Argenteuil.
Construction at the Cergy site began in 2021, and the facility was completed in July 2024. The transfer of Argenteuil teams and machinery followed, with the relocation finished by January.
The production contracts for the Rafale include a $5.5 billion French procurement for 42 jet fighters awarded to Dassault in January 2024 and an order from Serbia for 12 combat aircraft placed in September 2024.