Daher Aircraft has handed over the first Kodiak 900 to a customer in Europe, the company announced on Monday at NBAA-BACE. Roland and Claudia Primus of Switzerland took delivery of the turboprop single at the Daher manufacturing plant in Sandpoint, Idaho, where the aircraft and its Kodiak 100 Series III sibling are manufactured and assembled.
The French-headquartered airframer introduced the Kodiak 900—a larger, faster version of the original Kodiak 100—in 2022 with U.S. certification in hand. EASA approval followed in 2023, followed by Brazilian ANAC validation in 2025.
Powered by a 900-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140A turboprop engine, the Kodiak 900 has a maximum cruise speed of 210 ktas and incorporates refinements including landing-gear wheel fairings and optimized airflow through the ducts, inlets, and air intakes to reduce drag and increase speed.
The 10-seat utility aircraft also incorporates a 3.9-foot fuselage extension from the Kodiak 100, increasing cabin volume by more than 20%, to 309 cubic feet.
With the latest delivery to the Primus family, Daher has delivered 35 Kodiak 900s to operators ranging from private and business owners to multimission users in public safety, law enforcement, and wildfire suppression, among others.
Transitioning from a Cessna 182 to the Kodiak, the Primuses will use their turboprop single for flying to small airfields, with plans to mountain bike in the Alps and Pyrenees, surf and wing foil on the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, and trek and explore northern Europe, as well as ski tour along Greenland's west coast. They plan to base the aircraft at Bad Ragaz Aerodrome (LSZE) in Switzerland, which has a 495-meter (1,624-foot) runway.
“After reviewing the various product solutions, the Kodiak 900 was a perfect fit for us,” Roland Primus said. “We wanted to transition to a turbine-powered aircraft, and the Kodiak 900 ‘ticked the boxes’ on speed and performance, along with the ability to operate on grass and gravel strips. Its short takeoff and landing capabilities—as well as its stable handling qualities at near-stall speeds—also are important for our mission profile.”
The Kodiak 900 has a high-wing configuration for improved visibility, Daher noted, and added that the aircraft’s extended cabin provides room for mountain bikes, windsurfing equipment, and the gear needed for expeditions in Northern Europe.
Daher, which acquired the Kodiak line from Quest Aircraft in 2019, has seen the program accelerate since it was added to the product line, complementing its TBM high-speed single turboprop family, said Daher Aircraft CEO Nicolas Chabbert. In all, 375 Kodiak 100s have been delivered. He also said he believed the Kodiak 900 deliveries would push past 40 by year-end.
Meanwhile, Daher Aircraft has expanded on its system integration capabilities for multimission Kodiak applications as that business continues to grow. Noting the aircraft was originally designed for rugged operations in remote locations, Paul Carelli said this growth is happening by word of mouth, with government agencies beginning to reach out to evaluate the Kodiak.
Recent applications included a Kodiak 900 for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for use in aerial fire attack, personnel transportation, and conservation activity. This application involved an installation of Canyon’s AeroConnect digital audio control system and an expanded radio configuration with Air Tactical Group Supervisor capability.
Carelli cited several other use cases, including the U.S. Forest Service, New York and Virginia state police, and an Asian military customer.
Daher is displaying both the Kodiak 900 and TBM 980 this week at NBAA-BACE.
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