Dassault Aviation has inaugurated a new production facility in Cergy, northwest of Paris, marking the first time since the 1970s that the French aerospace group has opened a new manufacturing site.
The ceremony was presided over by Dassault Aviation’s Chairman and CEO Éric Trappier, who was joined by Valérie Pécresse, President of the Île-de-France Regional Council, along with other local officials, military authorities, and representatives of the regional industrial ecosystem.
“A question of sovereignty”
“This is the first time since the 1970s that Dassault Aviation has commissioned a new production site,” Trappier said during the event. “For a French industrialist, attached to his country, its territories and its jobs, inaugurating a new factory represents an incomparable joy and pride.”
Operational since the summer of 2024, the Cergy site has gradually taken over the activities of Dassault’s Argenteuil plant, which had become obsolete. Its main functions include the assembly of Falcon and Rafale components, integration of fuselage sections, installation of systems and equipment on Rafale fuselages, and the production of metallic piping. The only exception is the production of small primary parts, which has been reassigned to Dassault’s Seclin facility.
The project was initiated in 2019, with the foundation stone laid in 2021. The site was completed in July 2024, and teams, along with their tools, were transferred from Argenteuil between July 2024 and January 2025. More than 600 engineers, technicians, and skilled workers have now joined the site, most of them transferring from Argenteuil.
Supporting growing Rafale and Falcon output
Covering 110,760 square meters, with 39,700 square meters dedicated to production, the Cergy plant is part of Dassault’s broader strategy to scale up production in response to strong demand for both Rafale fighters and Falcon business jets. The company has expanded its workforce from approximately 12,000 to 14,500 in recent years and plans to ramp up Rafale production to three aircraft per month starting in 2026.
Cergy is one link in a larger production chain: some components are produced at Seclin in northern France before fuselages are completed and final assembly and flight testing take place at Mérignac, near Bordeaux. A Rafale fighter comprises approximately 30,000 parts supplied by around 400 French subcontractors, ranging from major groups such as Thales and Safran to smaller specialized firms. This extensive supply chain highlights the domestic industrial base that Dassault relies on for both its military and civilian programs.
Exports remain a key driver. New orders from countries such as India could further boost output requirements. Unlike many competing fighter jets, the Rafale is designed to be free of US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), giving France greater freedom in export negotiations and underscoring the sovereignty argument highlighted by Trappier.
