Daher, builder of the TBM line of single-engine turboprops, is doing well these days, with prospects looking even better. Based in Tarbes in southwest France, the OEM formerly known as Socata has been a subsidiary of the Daher Group since 2009. It delivered 23 aircraft in the first half of 2017, five more than the same period in 2016.

"Daher will deliver 55 aircraft by year-end,” according to Nicolas Chabbert, director of Daher's aircraft business unit, compared with 54 in 2016, for a value of $219.6 million. From 2009 to 2013, the manufacturer delivered 38 to 40 aircraft per year. "We are growing, in a business jet market that is relatively flat or even a little gloomy," he said. However, the total market for all turboprop singles grew by 8 percent in the first half of 2017 with 199 deliveries compared to 184 in the first half of 2016 (GAMA statistics).

One of the reasons for Daher's market performance is that the manufacturer has brought innovation to its airplanes in recent years. The TBM 900, launched in 2014, consists of 20 percent composite structure to reduce weight. Then came the TBM 930 in 2016 with the touchscreen-controlled Garmin G3000 avionics suite. Most recently, at Germany’s Friederichshafen show in April, the manufacturer revealed the TBM 910, equipped with the Garmin 1000NXi suite for those who prefer traditional buttons and knobs to touchscreen controllers. Currently, the 930 represents approximately 60 percent of deliveries while the 910 accounts for the remainder, "but the distribution will rebalance to 50-50," added Chabbert.

Customer Service Efforts

Here at NBAA 2017, Daher (Indoor Static 1308) will not be unveiling new products but will focus on customer-support services and upgrade opportunities. The manufacturer considers itself to have deep expertise with technical documentation, and the capability to expand its availability of spare parts. "We need to improve in this area," said Chabbert. With the increasing numbers of TBMs in service (approximately 850), the manufacturer has nearly doubled the number of MRO centers worldwide, from 21 in 2007 to 40 today. Daher also offers a package of services dubbed "TBM Care Program," which covers all scheduled maintenance for the first five years or 1,000 hours for TBM 910 and 930 buyers.

At EAA AirVenture in July, the manufacturer announced the availability of the NXi retrofit for owners of TBMs with the previous-generation Garmin 1000 suite. "We have between 50 and 100 customers who have declared themselves ready to upgrade," said Raphaël Maître, deputy director of the airplane business unit. Since 2014, Daher has launched other retrofit programs, such as adding composite winglets, five-blade propellers and a toilet for the aft compartment. These allow the aircraft to retain their value in the marketplace. But owners are apparently holding on to them for themselves. According to Daher, there are only about 30 TBMs on the second-hand market.

Another advantage for Daher is that, thanks to a better organized manufacturing and assembly system, the factory can change the configuration of new-production airplanes just six months before delivery, compared with more than a year previously. This gives buyers more flexibility in their choice of options.

At the industrial level, the Daher Group has chosen to integrate production and assembly at the Tarbes plant. Here the company manufactures a number of basic components, including fuselages. The remaining assembly, interior completions and painting is also done in Tarbes. At the factory, there is a showroom where future owners can configure their aircraft. The choice of paint schemes includes 105 standard colors, to which are added optional blends for owners who want to match their TBMs with their other aircraft.

The Tarbes site includes two paint bays. For interior trim, customers can choose among eight standard leather colors. Each airplane is subjected to three-to-five test flights, plus a flight with the full interior.

Daher could be in for a sales boom in light of new European legislation: As of January 2017, single-engine turboprops are eligible for commercial operation at night and in instrument conditions. "The consequences of this new legislation are very positive for an aircraft manufacturer like us. We've been fighting for it since 1993, "Chabbert said.

For now, the typical TBM customer base continues to be the owner-pilot, with 80 percent of that market based in North America. With this new legislation, however, the manufacturer hopes to expand in Europe, and this means catering to professional operators, a new and different market. To help with the transition, Daher launched a collaboration with a French operator, Voldirect, based in Rennes, which already has three TBM 850s and a Pilatus PC-12.