Daher has delivered the first TBM 980 in Brazil.
The single-engine turboprop went to a Brazilian entrepreneur upgrading from a Daher TBM 900. The aircraft will link cattle ranches and farms across the country, using the type's ability to operate from semi-prepared runways. Daher confirmed the handover on 3 August 2026.
Brazil's ANAC certified the TBM 980 in March 2026. The variant sits at the top of Daher's turboprop range, replacing the TBM 960, and carries the new Garmin G3000 Prime avionics suite launched with the aircraft in January 2026. Power comes from a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-66XT engine, giving a maximum cruise of 330 knots and 1,730 nautical miles of range.
The Brazilian handover formalises Daher's push into the region. The manufacturer established Daher Aircraft Brasil in São Paulo in October 2025 to consolidate local sales, spares and support. Five TBM 980s and one TBM 960 have since been sold in Brazil, with further handovers scheduled through the second half of 2026. Daher has said it is targeting a record year for TBM deliveries.
The TBM series competes with the Pilatus PC-12 and the delayed Beechcraft Denali in the single-engine turboprop segment. Brazil, with long domestic distances, extensive agricultural operations and a substantial owner-pilot base, has for a decade trailed North America and Europe on TBM registrations. Local certification and in-country sales give the family a route to close that gap. Aircraft ordered through São Paulo are configured against Brazilian regulatory and operating requirements from the factory, cutting the paperwork Brazilian owners previously faced when importing through European or US channels.
Source: Aero-News Network, 3 August 2026; AeroWeb-fr, 3 August 2026; Aviation International News on ANAC certification, 10 March 2026.