On the occasion of the roll-out of Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 10X, Michelin is reaching a new major milestone in aircraft tire innovation and development. With the Air X Sky Light tire equipping the aircraft, Michelin brings to fruition several years of development, testing, and high-level industrial collaboration with Dassault Aviation.
The MICHELIN Air X Sky Light tire and the Falcon 10X share the same innovation-driven philosophy: a radically reengineered tire architecture based on advanced materials and innovative industrial processes, fully aligned with the Falcon 10X’s technological choices in terms of weight optimization, overall performance, and integration of next-generation solutions.
MICHELIN Air X Sky Light: A Concentrate of Breakthrough Innovations
Unveiled as a world premiere at the 2023 Paris Air Show (Le Bourget), the Air X Sky Light is a next-generation aircraft tire designed to address the key challenges facing aviation: weight reduction, improved durability, enhanced operational performance, and a direct contribution to the decarbonization of air transport.
Thanks to a new radial technology, MICHELIN Air X Sky Light achieves a 10% to 20% weight reduction compared with previous generations, while delivering a 10% to 20% increase in service life. This weight saving—critical in aviation, where every kilogram matters—contributes to a significant reduction in fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, and maintenance and transportation costs.
These performance gains are made possible by an optimized summit architecture and footprint, the use of ultra-high-strength carcass materials, and next-generation hybrid cords and fabrics.
Michelin aircraft tires systematically integrate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into their design, evaluating environmental impacts from raw materials through end-of-life, in order to sustainably reduce their footprint on health, climate, natural resources, and biodiversity, in line with a responsible performance and circular economy approach. Moreover, the increasing integration of materials from renewable sources and recycling streams is fully aligned with the Michelin Group’s ambition to achieve 100% renewable and recycled materials by 2050.
Two and a Half Years of Optimization in Collaboration with Dassault to Ensure Total Reliability
The MICHELIN Air X Sky Light tire was developed in close cooperation with Dassault Aviation, as part of a trusted and long-standing relationship built over more than 40 years. During this time, Dassault Aviation has supported Michelin’s major aeronautical innovations—from MICHELIN Air X Sky Light radial tire on the Mirage III to today’s MICHELIN Air X Sky Light.
Initial discussions with Dassault on the development of this tire began in 2019. Since its presentation at the 2023 Paris Air Show, Michelin has continued to refine and optimize the MICHELIN Air X Sky Light through extensive development work to meet the particularly demanding constraints of the aviation sector: high loads, very high speeds, severe mechanical and thermal requirements, and consistent performance over time.
These refinements are essential to ensure total reliability under real operating conditions, in full compliance with the highest safety standards. This ongoing collaboration has enabled perfect alignment between the tire and the specific requirements of the Falcon 10X, a very high-performance business jet, allowing the aircraft’s flight-test campaign to proceed according to the manufacturer’s planned schedule.
Toward an Extended Range for Commercial Aviation
The first MICHELIN Air X Sky Light size developed for the Falcon 10X is a precursor to a broader product range, intended to expand across commercial aviation, both for new aircraft programs and retrofit applications on existing fleets.
The development of each new size—subject to extremely rigorous certification and qualification processes—is part of a roadmap defined in close coordination with airframers, airlines, and aviation authorities.
With more than 50 years of experience serving commercial, regional, general, and military aviation, Michelin once again demonstrates with MICHELIN Air X Sky Light its ability to translate breakthrough innovations into concrete, industrial-ready solutions, designed to support the future of aerospace.
About Michelin
Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world.
Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies, and healthcare.
The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide.
Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 175 countries and employs 129,800 people.