The family-controlled company said it had handed over 41 new Falcon business jets in 2018, down from 49 a year earlier, while deliveries of a dozen Rafale fighters rose from nine a year earlier and were three quarters for export, with three going to France.

Dassault said it had taken orders for 42 Falcon jets last year, staying just ahead of deliveries, after the cancellation of five jets linked to the now-abandoned Falcon 5X programme.

Orders were up from 38 business jets in 2017.

On the military side, the planemaker booked 12 Rafale export orders from Qatar.

Its end-year backlog of unfilled orders was virtually unchanged at 101 Rafale and 53 Falcon at the end of December.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Mark Potter)