FlightCom – August 2019

39 FlightCom Magazine

Industry Update

DAHER BUYS

QUEST KODIAK

D

AHER says the

acquisition strengthens

two of the company’s

strategic pillars by

boosting its market

position in the

turboprop segment

and growing its footprint in North

America. “The Quest Aircraft Company’s

acquisition represents an additional step

in our development in the United States

and an overall strengthening of our

aircraft manufacturing business,” said

Daher CEO Didier Kayat. “In addition to

making Daher the world’s seventh largest

aircraft manufacturer in business aviation,

it provides us with our first industrial site

in the United States, thereby reinforcing

Daher’s position as a Tier-1 aerospace

equipment and systems manufacturer, as

well as a logistics and services provider.”

Originally created for Christian mission

support in developing countries, the Kodiak

100 is a rugged STOL bush plane capable of

operating on rough and very short runways.

The Kodiak 100 complements rather

tan competes with Daher as the Kodiak

is a 10-seat, non-pressurized high-wing

turboprop while the TBM 910 and 940 are

6-seat pressurized turboprops. The Kodiak

competes most closely with the Cessna

Caravan and the TBM with Piper’s M600.

“Quest was built on a foundation

of values that are common to our two

companies, with a focus on excellence and

with the commitment to a high-quality,

extremely robust product,” said Daher

chairman Patrick Daher. “As a powerful and

manoeuvrable aircraft – used particularly

for humanitarian missions to provide aid

to isolated communities – the Kodiak 100

perfectly complements our TBM product

range and is fully in line with Daher’s long-

term vision as a company committed to the

future of aviation.”

The family-owned Daher Group plans

to develop “synergies” with the two aircraft

product lines by introducing technologies

and functionalities for the Kodiak aircraft

that have contributed to the successes

achieved by the TBM, Daher said.

“The Kodiak 100 is an aviator’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,”

said Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president

of the Daher Aircraft Business Unit. “We

also are particularly pleased to welcome the

240 employees based in Sandpoint, Idaho,

to the Daher Group.”

Flying magazine reports that the

terms of the deal were not disclosed, nor

were possible changes to the management

structure or workforce at Quest. But

both 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,” said Robert Wells,

Quest Aircraft Company’s CEO. “Our

teams share the values for craftsmanship

and quality, as underscored by Quest’s

motto: ‘Built by hand in Sandpoint, Idaho.’”

The acquisition’s closing is expected to

be completed by the end of the year, subject

to approval by regulatory authorities in both

countries.

Kodiak 100 - now owned by Daher, was originally

designed for Mission Aviation Fellowship support ops.

DAHER, THE FRENCH BUILDER OF TBM TURBOPROPS, HAS

ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL PURCHASE QUEST AIRCRAFT, BUILDER

OF THE KODIAK 100 UTILITY TURBOPROP.