Core tips：On the sidelines of the presentation of its results for 2024, with sales of €1.8 billion (US$1.86 billion), 55% of which were generated outside France, Daher confirmed that it would be presenting an electrified aircraft in 2027. Not 100% electric, but ‘ev
Presenting the results for 2024, Didier Kayat, Chairman and CEO of Daher, pointed out that the Group was following the milestones of the ‘Take off 2027’ strategic plan, defined in 2022. ‘The course has been set, even though we are adapting to changing circumstances. The fact that we have 4 core businesses – Aerospace, Industry, Industrial Services and Logistics – means that we can weather the crises in the aerospace sector and demonstrate great resilience’, he explained, before adding: ’We have invested heavily in recent years, with significant acquisitions in our various businesses, such as KVE Composites, a specialist in welding thermoplastic composites. These acquisitions have enabled us to become what we are today, and we now face the dual challenge of improving our profitability and investing in the aviation of the future’.
A new management organisation for Daher
In 2024, Daher generated sales of €1.8 billion (US$1.86 billion), 55% of which was generated internationally, with 14,000 employees, including 2,500 new recruits (1,700 in France). The group delivered 82 aircraft (56 TBMs and 26 Kodiaks), mainly to the United States. Daher continued its transformation and internationalisation in 2024, focusing in particular on improving operational efficiency and a new managerial organisation with divisional heads for each business. Innovation has also remained central with its 3 ‘tech centres’, Shap’ing (for the design of lighter, more efficient and recyclable aeronautical structures), Log’in and Fly’in. In this area, Daher is seeking to increase the number of partnerships with manufacturers, start-ups and academic institutions. ‘If there is a point of weakness to be recognised in 2024, it lies in profitability, which we can still improve’, points out Didier Kayat. However, Ebitda has risen by 1 point.
Daher could reach the €2 billion sales mark in 2025
Daher remains confident about its 2025 guidance, pointing out that it has an order book representing 2.5 years of sales. The group is also aiming for sales of between €1.9 (US$ 1.96) and €2 (US$ 2.06) billion, with this delta dependent on its aircraft manufacturer customers’ ability to ramp up production. At the same time, Daher intends to work on improving its profitability. The group will also continue to recruit, with 2,500 new staff planned, 1,600 of them in France, followed by the United States, where the Stuart plant will need to be staffed, and Germany. ‘We’re looking for fitters, mechanics, specialists in draping and moulding composites, and quality control experts, not forgetting logistics profiles for our dedicated division’, explains Jérôme Leparoux, the Group’s General Secretary and Director of Human Resources.
The immense challenge of decarbonisation is on the agenda
The roadmap includes a particular focus on employee safety to reduce incidents. This is an issue that affects the entire industry, because after the damage caused by Covid, we often had to recruit on a massive scale, including employees with no experience or from sectors other than aeronautics.
In addition, decarbonisation remains a central objective, including to avoid plane bashing, which is why Daher has confirmed its commitment to the Paris Agreements. Didier Kayat confirms that the Group will present an electrified aircraft in 2027, thus keeping its promise in the wake of the EcoPulse pilot project conducted with Safran and Airbus, and with the support of CORAC and the DGAC. But it will not be a 100% electric aircraft. ‘It won’t be based on the car model, because battery technology is still too limited. So we’re going to electrify everything we can, but the details are still confidential’, emphasises Didier Kayat, while reminding us that decarbonising aviation also means securing SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) volumes and making numerous organisational adjustments at several levels (flight plans, taxiing time, etc.).
Daher will initially increase its annual production capacity to 150 aircraft
Finally, Daher will continue to work on optimising its production capacity, in conjunction with its supplier partners. In the short to medium term, the Group will have a production capacity of between 150 and 180 aircraft per year, based around 3 sites. Didier Kayat compares this target with the 82 deliveries scheduled for 2024, to show just how far we still have to go. This is a key commercial and competitive issue, because aircraft like the TBM are often ‘impulse purchases’, and customers don’t like having to wait too long.
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