The ownership story behind Daher’s strong TBM and Kodiak growth

The priorities of aircraft buyers can often be found through orderbooks and service networks. Daher's latest announcements point to both strong demand for its aircraft and continued investment in customer support. The company has reported an extended orderbook for the TBM 980, while also expanding support infrastructure around the Kodiak. What happened Daher claimed that the TBM 980 had strong market demand in its first six months. Over 30 aircraft have already been delivered in that timeframe and its orderbook now stretches into mid-2027. The company also added three authorized network service center locations in the United States and Asia, as well as two distributors in these regions. The U.S. based centers are located at Blackhawk Group facilities at the Camarillo Airport (CMA) in California and the Glendale Regional Airport (GEU) in Arizona. The third is Bangkok-based Thai Aviation Industries at the Photharam Airport (VTPR). Why demand remains strong Daher reports that more than half of TBM 980 customers are repeat buyers and that the TBM line as a whole is still in demand on the used market. Of the 218 airplanes built in the TBM 960 version, only three are currently for sale worldwide. Similarly, just four aircraft of the previous TBM 940 variant are on the market out of a total production run of 124 aircraft. These figures show that owners are holding on to their aircraft, showing continued demand for the TBM aircraft line. The Kodiak expansion is another facet of keeping customers long term. While attractive specifications may get a customer to purchase an aircraft, strong service and support are also often important considerations for buyers. In total, Daher has 70 authorized service centers worldwide, with multiple able to support both the TBM and Kodiak line. The value of support Ownership infrastructure is increasingly becoming a competitive factor for manufacturers. Daher's investment in factory-authorized maintenance, distributor relationships, and service coverage suggests the company recognizes that reality. Aircraft manufacturers are competing not just over aircraft, but ownership experience. As competing aircraft become more similar, service availability, maintenance support and parts access may become increasingly important differentiators. Daher appears to be investing in exactly those areas while its demand is high. Why it matters Demand for aircraft is dependent on multiple different factors, and support infrastructure is one of them. Daher's latest announcement suggests that it views investment in it as important to sales growth and other manufacturers may follow.