Daher Aircraft has announced the creation of a new office in São Paulo, to serve as its headquarters in Brazil. Its team is to oversee customer outreach, fleet support and expansion efforts for TBM and Kodiak turboprop-powered aircraft families within the country.
Daher said the move reinforces its long-term commitment to the “dynamic and expanding” Brazilian market and will provide localised business development and operational support for current and future TBM and Kodiak aircraft owners within the country.
“With a thriving general aviation community and an increasing demand for both high-performance and utility aircraft, our TBM and Kodiak are perfectly aligned with the operational needs across Brazil,” said Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher’s Aircraft division. “Establishing a local presence will enable us to support our customers more directly, and it signals our intent to grow with Brazil’s aviation future.”
The pressurised TBM turboprop has six seats. The latest TBM 960 version has a maximum cruise speed of 610km/h (330kts) and a maximum range of 3,204km (1,730 nautical miles). The digitally controlled cabin incorporates an all-new environmental control system, as well as LED ambient lighting and electrically dimmable windows.
The Kodiak family is composed of the cornerstone Kodiak 100 and the larger, faster Kodiak 900. Both of these unpressurised aircraft offer backcountry short take-off and landing (STOL) capacity. Daher said they are capable of opening access to remote areas, along with providing support for the agricultural sector, as well as in passenger/VIP transportation and for public safety duties.
The 10-seat Kodiak 100 was designed to be a rugged, simple-to-fly platform offering easy convertibility to accommodate passengers, cargo and mission systems. The large pallet-sized cargo bay door facilitates the loading and unloading of passengers, stretchers and cargo. The Kodiak 100 carries a useful load of 1,600kg (3,530 lb), and is capable of up to 10-hour loiter times. It also has engineered-in compatibility for water operations on floats without structural or aerodynamic upgrades. Daher said the airframe’s anti-corrosion process provides protection in high salinity environments.
The Kodiak 900 fuselage is 1.19m (3.9ft) longer, to provide more passenger room and cargo space. It also has a higher cruise speed – 390km/h (210ktas) – and a greater useful load of 1,646kg (3,630 lb), while offering a maximum range of 2,091km (1,129 nautical miles).
