Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Dassault Falcon Jet plans to expand its presence in Little Rock, Arkansas, to support the development and delivery of its new Falcon 6X business jet and future Falcon programs. The decision comes after a meeting at the Paris Airshow this past summer between Dassault executives and Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose delegation offered what Dassault called “strong support” for the expansion project.
Apart from state incentives, the company said it chose Little Rock for the completion center expansion based on the availability of skilled workers and its presence at existing facilities.
“Our expected demand for new Falcons—such as our Falcon 6X which has just entered service—required that we evaluate our production needs including our completion capacity,” said Éric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “The State of Arkansas has always been a vital part of our success in Little Rock and we appreciate the leadership of Governor Huckabee Sanders as we build a bigger presence.”
For her part, Sanders pointed to plans to add 800 jobs as more evidence of the state’s status as an aerospace “powerhouse.”
“I’m grateful to Dassault’s leadership for doubling down on their investment in central Arkansas and will keep cutting taxes, growing our workforce, and improving our schools to help Arkansas’ aerospace industry continue to expand,” she said.
Dassault Falcon Jet employs approximately 1,400 workers across two facilities in Little Rock.
The company has operated in Arkansas since 1975, when it opened its aircraft completion facility there. The company also operates its service center, dedicated to Falcon customers, in Little Rock.
Dassault Falcon Jet has made multiple investments in its Little Rock facility in recent years. In 2015, the company invested $60 million to expand the completion center, adding 350,000 square feet of production space. In 2008, the company invested $20 million to add four paint bays along with new production, design, and warehouse space.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Dassault Falcon Jet Commits to Expanding Presence in Little Rock, Arkansas

Company cites strong state support and supply of workers as factors in its decision to expand

Dassault Falcon Jet commits to expanding in Arkansas to support the development and delivery of its new Falcon 6X business jet and future Falcon programs.

Falcon Jet Commits to Arkansas Expansion

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

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News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Facility expansion adds 1,000 sq m this year

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Charles Alcock

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

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