FAA orders cockpit fix for Dassault Falcon 7X slat failures

The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring a software and manual fix for certain Dassault Aviation Falcon 7X airplanes, and the rule takes effect July 9, 2026. The problem that triggered it was simple and unsettling: the inboard slats did not extend during landing, but the maintenance and avionics interface computer, or MAIC, and the crew alerting system, or CAS, did not give pilots a clear warning.

That matters because slats help an airplane make more lift at slower speeds. When they fail at the end of a flight and the cockpit does not immediately flag the problem, the crew can be left with less margin on approach and landing. The FAA says the new directive is meant to close that warning gap and give pilots better procedures for handling slat failures.

The price of the repair

The directive covers 25 airplanes on the U.S. registry. Operators are expected to spend up to 24 labor hours per aircraft to update the MAIC software and revise the airplane flight manual, or AFM. The FAA puts the cost at up to $4,900 per airplane, or as much as $122,500 across the fleet, though the manufacturer says some of that work may be covered under warranty.