Press Release

Issued by Daher Aerospace.

March 5, 2013

Daher-Socata today announced the appointment of MDS Aviation – based at Casablanca, Morocco – as an approved TBM Service Center.

Under this agreement MDS Aviation is authorized to perform maintenance on the TBM 700 and TBM 850 very fast turboprop aircraft, as well as provide warranty support and facilitate access for both parts and technical support.

Founded in 2005, MDS Aviation is an aircraft maintenance company located at Casablanca's Tit-Mellil Airport. It is EASA Part 145 approved, and has developed as a business and private aviation leader in northwestern Africa. The company is recognized by two major TBM aircraft suppliers: as a fixed base operator (FBO) for Pratt & Whitney Canada's turboprop engines; and as a dealer for Garmin avionics.

"MDS Aviation is highly respected in Africa, and we welcome this organization into the TBM service network as we expand our activities in the region," commented Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of Daher-Socata's airplane division. "This is the latest step in broadening our reach for authorized service centers, which ensures we can meet the needs for Daher-Socata's customer base in providing solutions for standard and scheduled maintenance, engine support, airworthiness management and spare parts."

Didier Cornut, a founder of MDS Aviation and its managing director, noted the importance of general aviation in the vast African continent, with the company's Morocco base of operations strategically located between Africa and Europe.

"We are ideally situated to take advantage of aviation's forecasted growth in the African region," Cornut said. "Our goal is to start as a TBM service center, building up our technical expertise to support the operations of TBM and Socata aircraft in Africa, thereby positioning MDS Aviation for future development in partnership with Daher-Socata."

Daher-Socata's TBM 850 is the world's fastest single turboprop aircraft, with a maximum cruising speed of 320 KTAS at Flight Level 260 (in ISA conditions). It combines cruising speed and trip times of a light jet with the economic direct operating costs, range and moderate environmental signature of a turboprop engine. The maximum range and useful load – which are enhanced on the current version – as well as the ability to land at small airports, are some of its customers' favorite features.

The worldwide TBM fleet – composed of the TBM 850 and its predecessor TBM 700 version – has surpassed the combined 1 million flight hour milestone. With more than 620 of these very fast turboprop business aircraft produced to date, the overall fleet usage now averages in excess of 120,000 flight hours annually.