French airframer Daher Aircraft will in the coming weeks break ground on a new final assembly line in Stuart, Florida that will begin building TBM-series turborprop singles in early 2027.
Demolition of existing structures on the site has been completed “and we have finally approved the design of the new building and selected the contractor”, says Daher chief executive Nicolas Chabbert. “Construction will start in the next few weeks.”
Operations at the new facility – adjacent to an existing aerostructures production line – will begin in January 2027, Chabbert adds.
Kits will be supplied to the site from Daher’s site in Tarbes, southwest France, for final assembly in Stuart, with activities becoming “more advanced as time progresses”, he says.
Initially only TBM 910s or 960s will be built at the US plant, with the Kodiak utility turborop introduced from around 2029. The Kodiak 100 and 900 are currently built in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Chabbert says the Stuart site, which he describes as a “supplemental” facility, will eventually be capable of assembling up to 60 aircraft annually.
“To get to 60 will take a long time,” he says, forecasting initial output of between 10 to 20 aircraft in 2027.
Daher has for several years been looking to increase its US presence, which already accounts for 10% of its 14,000-strong workforce.
Daher is also closing in on a significant milestone for the Kodiak. Having already handed over 382 examples and based on its delivery plan for the remainder of the year, the airframer is confident that “very early in 2026 we will cross the 400-delivery milestone”.
Total deliveries from the Sandpoint factory will be 27 this year, split roughly evenly between the Kodiak 100 and newer 900 variant.
Daher acquired the Kodiak programme with its purchase of Quest Aircraft in 2019.
Total deliveries of TBM-series aircraft are nearing 1,300, with 214 examples of the latest TBM 960 variant shipped since it entered service in 2022.
“In fact, it is the fastest selling TBM in the programme’s history,” Chabbert adds.
Meanwhile, the company has expanded its global customer support network for the TBM and Kodiak, with additional US-based service centres now providing coverage in Alaska and enhanced capacity in the Midwest and Southeastern regions.
Coverage in Alaska is being provided by Wasilla-based Silver Sky Aviation, which will provide maintenance and repair support for the Kodiak 100 and 900.
“This is well-needed, especially in that part of the world if we want to grow with the Kodiak,” he adds.
