12 | AUGUST 2019 FLYINGMAG.COM
French aircraft maker Daher, famous
for the TBM family of sleek, speedy
single-engine turboprops, says its
acquisition of Idaho-based Quest
Aircraft strengthens Daher’s mar-
ket position while growing its North
American footprint. Quest Aircraft
builds the rugged Kodiak 100. The
family-owned Daher Group plans
to develop “synergies” between
the two aircraft product lines
by introducing technologies and
functionalities for the Kodiak aircraft
that have contributed to the successes
achieved with the TBM.
The Kodiak 100 is a 10-seat,
nonpressurized, high-wing turboprop
capable of operating on rough and
very short runways, while the TBM
910 and 940 are luxurious, fast
pressurized turboprops that do not
generally compete directly for market
share. The Kodiak competes clos-
est with the Cessna Caravan and the
TBM with Piper’s M600, Textron
Aviation’s forthcoming Denali and
Epic Aircraft’s E1000.
“Quest was built on a foundation of
values common to our two companies,
with a focus on excellence and with
the commitment to a high-quality,
extremely robust product,” says Daher
chairman Patrick Daher. “As a power-
ful and maneuverable aircraft—used
particularly for humanitarian mis-
sions to provide aid to isolated com-
munities—the Kodiak 100 perfectly
complements our TBM product rangeand is fully in line with Daher’s long-
term vision as a company committed
to the future of aviation.”
Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice pres-
ident of the Daher Aircraft Business
Unit, says: “The Kodiak 100 is an avi-
ator’s aircraft, just like the members
of our TBM family, and we are happy
to bring together two communities of
passionate pilots and operators with
the acquisition of Quest. We also are
particularly pleased to welcome the
240 employees based in Sandpoint,
Idaho, to the Daher Group.”
The companies appeared excited for
the possibilities that lie ahead. “The
know-how of Quest and Daher opens
the potential for rapid growth, with
the combined operation becoming a
key international player,” says Robert
Wells, Quest Aircraft Company CEO.
“Our teams share the values for
craftsmanship and quality, as under-
scored by Quest’s motto: ‘Built by
hand in Sandpoint, Idaho.’” Terms of
the deal were not disclosed, nor were
possible changes to the management
structure or workforce at Quest.WITH QUEST PUCHASE,
DAHER CREATING A
TURBOPROP POWERHOUSE
THE BEST OF WHAT’S NEWSky
Next
FLYING AUGUST 2019