Daher Targets August 2027 for First TBM Assembled at New Stuart, Florida Facility
Why It MattersA second TBM assembly line in the U.S. market ties turboprop output to American demand, showing how an OEM can add capacity near customers while keeping initial production volumes flexible.
What happened
Daher Aircraft expects to complete its first TBM aircraft at its new final assembly facility in Stuart, Florida, around August 2027. CEO Nicolas Chabbert gave the timeline at an Oct. 19 press conference at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas.
The company plans to begin operations at the facility next year. Hiring is underway, and employees are being sent to the existing TBM production site in Tarbes, France, for training. Chabbert said production in Florida will increase gradually, with output determined by market demand.
Daher also announced the delivery of its first Kodiak 900 to a European customer. The aircraft was handed over earlier this month to Swiss owners Roland and Claudia Primus, who plan to fly it recreationally across Europe. The couple is moving up from a Cessna 182 and will base the Kodiak 900 at Bad Ragaz Aerodrome in Switzerland.
Virginia-based aircraft owner and charter broker Little Hawk Logistics recently expanded into the western U.S. with a TBM 910 based at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, joining two TBM 900s in its fleet. Charter flights are operated by 45 North Flight. Founder and president Eric Walden said the company expects strong demand for short-haul charters connecting Scottsdale with destinations across the southwest and will use the winter flying season to test that.
Daher also cited demand for the Kodiak in public-sector missions such as law enforcement, aerial surveillance and firefighting. New York State Police has acquired four Kodiaks and Virginia State Police operates three. Montana's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has acquired a Kodiak 900 configured for firefighting and plans to buy another. Daher is displaying the TBM 980 and Kodiak 900 at Henderson Executive Airport during NBAA-BACE, Oct. 20-22.
Industry impact & what to watch
Locating final assembly in Florida puts a single-engine turboprop line in the market that supplies much of the demand for these aircraft. For an OEM selling to owner-pilots, charter brokers and government agencies, assembly close to the customer base can shorten the path from order to delivery, while a gradual ramp tied to demand keeps the company from committing to volume ahead of orders.
The customers named here show how varied that demand is. A Swiss couple stepping up from a piston single, a charter broker testing short-haul routes out of Scottsdale, and state agencies buying Kodiaks for firefighting and surveillance all draw on the same product family. That spread of buyers is what lets a manufacturer scale production on demand rather than on a single fleet order.
The next concrete marker is the start of operations at Stuart next year, followed by the August 2027 target for the first completed aircraft. Whether the Tarbes-trained workforce reaches that milestone on schedule will be the first real test of the Florida line.
