Irish Defence Forces complete €53 million government jet procurement as FOI records reveal fit-out details

Ireland's Defence Forces have acquired a €53 million ($62 million) Dassault Falcon 6X government jet, with records released under Freedom of Information laws providing new detail on the aircraft's procurement process, interior specification, and early operational use.

The Irish Star reported that interior installation was completed at the Dassault FalconJet facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the United States, with Dassault Aviation responsible for the interior design and its US subsidiary handling installation. The Defence Forces confirmed that no additional modifications or bespoke elements were sought beyond the standard production specification.

The decision to avoid alterations was driven by procurement timelines. An information note released under FOI stated: "As the aircraft was on the production line at the time of procurement, any alterations to the specification would have caused significant delays to the project delivery."

The Defence Forces confirmed this approach aligned with the objective of acquiring the aircraft before the end of 2025. Records also indicated that the project was managed by a joint Air Corps and Department of Defence team, with no direct high-level correspondence outside the project group.

The aircraft has since been deployed on at least ten ministerial transport missions since March 2026, including trips to Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Madrid, Helsinki, Berlin, and Athens. Six missions were undertaken for the Taoiseach, with the remaining four serving other government ministers.

The Department of Defence confirmed it has not yet calculated an average hourly operating cost for the new aircraft, a figure that will be of relevance to ongoing public procurement oversight and value-for-money assessments.

The procurement of the Falcon 6X without bespoke modifications illustrates a broader principle in public sector acquisition: balancing specification requirements against delivery timelines to avoid cost escalation and project delays.

Explore the complete report and FOI documentation for further detail on the procurement process.