Dassault has unveiled the Falcon 2000S with the goal of creating a full-size Falcon with a midsize price ideally suited for an eight-hour flight.

With a price tag of under $25 million, Dassault claims the Falcon 2000S will feature the largest cabin, longest range and best performance in its class .

New inboard wing slats and high-Mach blended winglets enhance aerodynamic efficiency, so the 2000S can get in and out of small, convenient airports.

Organisers of the second edition of Hainan Rendez-Vous, Asia’s first and only private aviation lifestyle exhibition, announced today that some 250 of the region’s business elites will be flown by private jet to their April 1-4 show in Hainan, a tropical island that is fast developing into China’s version of the French Riviera.

Showcasing the world’s finest private jets, Hainan Rendez-Vous 2011 provides an ideal communication platform for manufacturers and buyers of business aircraft.

It is the only Business-to-VIP-Customer aircraft exhibition in the whole of Asia, and the region’s only show where exhibiting private jet manufacturers actually fly in such a large number of show attendees from their city of origin and back.

In total the event, which also includes a yacht exhibit and luxury property and brands shows, is expected to draw some 8,000 high net worth individuals this year.

After years of waiting for China to lift heavy restrictions on airspace, wealthy travellers and aircraft manufacturers have reason to celebrate — the country’s skies are opening up to private flights.

The makers of helicopters and small business jets are predicting a major bump in sales — France’s Dassault Falcon just moved its Asia office from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, which it called the new “centre of gravity” for the market.

The private air travel industry “will be one of the fastest-growing sectors in the next 10 years”, Frank Lee, chairman of China Private Aviation Company, a consultancy offering aircraft acquisition and charter services, told AFP.

Nicolas Sarkozy’s ‘bling bling’ reputation reached new heights last week when it emerged his new 80 million jet has been named ‘Carla’ after his wife.

The French President defied the recession last year to order $390 million worth of planes, including an Airbus designed to be bigger than any flown by other European leaders, and two corporate run-arounds for shorter trips.

The first, a hugely luxurious Dassault Falcon 7X, has now been delivered complete with the hand-painted legend ‘Carla One’ glistening on its side, in honour of First Lady Carla Bruni.