FAA Inspects Slippery Seats on Falcon Jets
Published Date: 9/14/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA wants to make sure seats on certain Dassault Falcon airplanes don’t slide around unexpectedly, which can be unsafe. They’re proposing inspections and fixes for seats that don’t lock properly, plus new rules on installing these seats. If you own or operate these planes, you’ll need to act before October 29, 2026, to keep flying safely without extra costs piling up.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Operators must inspect and repair seats
If you operate a Dassault Model FALCON 6X, 7X, 900EX, or 2000EX airplane, the FAA proposes a one-time inspection of each affected passenger seat and required corrective actions per EASA AD 2025-0134. The FAA estimates this inspection is 3 work-hours (3 x $85 = $255) per seat, up to 19 seats per airplane, affecting 148 U.S.-registered airplanes and a total estimated compliance cost across U.S. operators of up to $717,060; on-condition repairs are estimated at $7,067 per seat (4 work-hours = $340 labor + $6,727 parts).
Passenger safety risk reduced
You as a passenger on the affected Dassault models are less likely to experience a seat sliding unexpectedly because the proposed AD requires inspecting ring brakes and taking corrective actions when brakes or tension are out of tolerance. The rule also limits installing affected seats unless they have been inspected and any required corrective actions are done, which aims to prevent injury during critical phases of flight.
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Key Dates
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