Daher rolls out systems upgrades across Kodiak range

Commonality with the company's TBM 960 has increased as Garmin connectivity, weather radar and backup displays have been integrated across production lines.

Daher Aircraft has introduced avionics and systems upgrades for its 2025 Kodiak 900 and Kodiak 100 Series III aircraft, designed to boost operability, maintainability and safety while increasing commonality with the TBM 960. These changes have affected both standard and optional equipment and will be applied to Kodiaks delivered from this year onward from Sandpoint, Idaho.

CEO Nicolas Chabbert presented the updates during Daher Aircraft’s press conference at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Florida. He also shared delivery targets of 30 Kodiaks for 2025, up 15 per cent from last year and 62 TBM 960s from Tarbes, France, a nearly 11 per cent increase.

Improvements to both Kodiak variants include Garmin’s GDL 60 datalink and PlaneSync, supporting connected aircraft operations such as wireless data updates and remote system checks via LTE or Wi-Fi. An ADS-B OFF mode is also now available for special missions.

Chabbert says: “With PlaneSync, the Kodiak 900 and Kodiak 100 Series III fleets now have a single advanced connectivity solution, which is harmonised as well with the TBM 960 – thereby empowering pilots with smarter, simpler and more efficient operations.”

Additional enhancements for 2025 include Whelen Aerospace Technologies’ new external lighting for improved visibility and safety. The Avionics One package now features Garmin’s GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar, GRA55 radar altimeter and GTX345D diversity transponder.

The Kodiak 100 Series III also gains the MD302 Standby Attitude Module and MD32 magnetometer, previously used in the Kodiak 900. Built by Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, this backup system provides key flight data across two screens with no special installation requirements.

Since acquiring the Kodiak line in 2019, Daher Aircraft has launched the Series III and the larger Kodiak 900 while investing in expanded production capabilities. Upgrades to the Idaho site include a $2.7 million paint facility and a second assembly line.

A new final assembly line will open in Stuart, Florida next year to build TBM aircraft, with Kodiak production also a possibility. More than 365 Kodiaks have been delivered globally, accumulating around 433,000 hours in service with a wide range of operators.