Dassault Aviation Falcon 20

Twin Jet

The Dassault Falcon 20, originally marketed as the Mystère 20, was France's first purpose-built business jet and one of the earliest successful corporate jets worldwide when it entered service in 1965. Designed by Dassault Aviation with input from Pan Am Business Jets, the twin-engine aircraft seated eight to ten passengers and introduced European sophistication to the executive transport market dominated by American manufacturers. Its rear-mounted General Electric CF700 turbofans and clean wing design gave it transcontinental range and the ability to operate from shorter runways than many competitors, making it popular with corporations and charter operators throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The type proved so versatile that the U.S. Coast Guard adopted a maritime patrol variant as the HU-25 Guardian, and FedEx operated a large fleet of cargo-converted Falcon 20s well into the 2000s. With a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.84 and a service ceiling above 42,000 feet, the Falcon 20 offered jet performance in a relatively compact airframe, cruising at around 460 knots over ranges exceeding 1,800 nautical miles. Though production ended in 1988 after 512 aircraft were built, the type remains in limited service with cargo operators, private owners, and museums. Its design DNA directly influenced the later Falcon 50 and the entire Falcon family that remains Dassault's flagship business jet line today. SkyMeter has tracked 52 flights across 7 airframes and 6 operators over routes, with SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. the largest observed operator.