Daher expects aircraft deliveries to climb more than 40 percent this year, Nicolas Chabbert, the senior v-p of the company’s aircraft division, told AIN last week at the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida. Noting that “2021 will be a big year for us," he said, "We’re looking at delivering 75 aircraft this year—50 TBMs and 25 Kodiak 100s—and possibly even more." In 2020, Daher handed over 53 aircraft, including 42 TBMs and 11 Kodiak 100s.

According to Chabbert, demand for both new-production and preowned TBMs is outstripping supply for the turboprop singles. “There are few TBMs on the preowned market,” he noted, adding that supply-chain issues caused by the pandemic are also putting a squeeze on new-production rates. “The supply chain is swamped, and we’re having to order supply six months out—we’ve never seen it like this before. And it will likely take 18 months to fix.”

Last week’s airshow also marked the first time that Daher has displayed a TBM (a Model 940, to be exact) and a Kodiak 100 side by side at one exhibit in the U.S. since the company acquired Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest Aircraft, which developed and manufactured the Kodiak utility turboprop single. The Kodiak on display was a Series II; the Series III announced earlier this month will make its public U.S. airshow debut at EAA AirVenture this July in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Kodiak chief demo pilot Mark Brown said.

According to Brown, the Series III—which makes popular, but previously optional, equipment standard and beefs up the aircraft warranty and included training—is being well received by customers. “Though the international market is tough due to the pandemic, our domestic U.S. business is great. We had a really good start to 2021, and it has the potential to be our best year ever,” he told AIN.