Daher unveiled a new programme at the show that is designed to ease the cost of owning a TBM single-engined turboprop.
Called Fly and Charter your TBM (FACT), the initiative connects private and corporate TBM 700, 850, 900 and 930 owners with commercial operators who can then charter any excess capacity on the aircraft.
“FACT is targeted at TBM owners who fly less than 200h annually,” Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice-president of the Daher Airplane Business Unit, said at the launch. “Revenues generated by charter operators can help offset their ownership costs,” he added.
“With FACT, we facilitate the contacts between owners and those seeking charter capacity, while also providing our expertise and guidance.”
Daher says the TBM family is well suited for commercial operations – “especially from community airports where operations benefit from the aircraft family’s speed, economical operating costs and the ability to serve smaller runways”.
About 40 TBMs are flown commercially in the USA, Australia and France, from a global fleet of more than 800 aircraft.
Europe is poised to approve commercial operations for single-engined turboprops at night and in instrument meteorological conditions early next year. Daher hopes this long awaited ratification will trigger interest in the FACT programme and boost the appeal of its high performance aircraft with commercial operators across the continent – home to 144 TBMs.
Source: Flight Daily News
