SINGAPORE, February 23: French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation said on Monday that the Asian financial crisis will not have a big impact on its income."I don't think there will be any delay for orders (of commercial aircraft). For military aircraft there could be a delay of one-year," company chairman and chief executive Officer Serge Dassault said at the Asian aerospace show.
"I don't think it will have a big impact on income."Dassault Aviation manufactures the Mirage 2000 and Rafale warplane as well as the Falcon and Atlantic range of business jets.
Dassault said sales of its Falcon business jets have been strong and are not expected to slow down in 1998. Last year the company sold 98 units of the jet, up significantly from the 47 sold the preceding year.
He said the company had received orders from the French military for 294 units of its new Rafale warplane, the first of which will be delivered later this year.
Both the Rafale and the Mirage 2000 are on display at Asian aerospace, wherethe French aviation industry have taken up 30 per cent more exhibition space than in 1996 despite the region's economic troubles.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
