Airframer news
22/01/2026
The sixth TBM 900-series aircraft features touchscreen avionics, upgraded cabin comfort, along with a more intuitive, easier-to-operate cockpit.
Daher has launched the TBM 980, the latest evolution in its 900-series turboprop family, incorporating Garmin’s G3000 PRIME avionics and multiple cabin enhancements. Unveiled at Daher Aircraft’s production facility in Tarbes, France, the aircraft was presented to customers and partners in person and via live stream.
The TBM 980 is equipped with three 14-inch edge-to-edge touchscreen displays, offering faster and more intuitive access to radios, flight plans and transponder settings via app-style shortcuts. A four-position joystick replaces the checklist button to simplify control.
“The aircraft is more intuitive and easier to operate,” says Daher Aircraft CEO Nicolas Chabbert. “Its touchscreen-controlled flight deck truly revolutionizes the interface between pilots and the avionics.”
Cabin upgrades include provisions for a Starlink Mini satellite internet terminal, 100-watt USB-C charging ports and improved passenger display screens.
The aircraft retains proven elements from the TBM 960 such as the PT6E-66XT engine and Hartzell composite propeller, both managed by FADEC, alongside Garmin’s GWX 8000 radar and e-copilot automation systems including HomeSafe autoland.
The TBM 980 has received airworthiness certification from EASA and the FAA, allowing deliveries to commence from January 2026.
“The TBM 980 is the sixth aircraft launched by Daher in the TBM 900-series since we acquired the TBM product line in 2014,” adds Daher Chairman and CEO Didier Kayat. “This underscores our firm commitment to the airplane family’s evolution through the continual application of innovation.”
The TBM 980 is the first aircraft certified under the Daher Aircraft identity, a structure created as part of the Takeoff 2027 plan to consolidate all aviation activities within the group.