Bundaberg-based aircraft and engine manufacturer Jabiru has announced a new European partnership with JDM Aviation, establishing Jabiru Europe as a centralised dealership for aircraft, engines, parts and maintenance support across the continent.
Based in Darois, France and home to an established light aviation community, Jabiru Europe will focus on reintroducing Jabiru product to European markets and building a strong local support infrastructure. JDM Aviation was founded by Jean-Philippe Mathy, Gérald Ducoin and Thomas Mathy, who bring more than 35 years of combined experience across operational, technical and industrial aviation.
The partnership covers the full Jabiru product range. The J170, a proven two-seat all-composite aircraft with a 600kg MTOW, is well suited to European ultralight registration pathways, while the four-seat J430 kit aircraft offers a step up for pilots seeking greater capability and range. Both types are powered by Jabiru's own engines, providing what the company describes as complete tip-to-tail in-house support.
JDM Aviation also brings specialist capability in flight testing, onboard instrumentation and data analysis, including through its APIBOX platform — an additional layer of technical depth to complement Jabiru's OEM backing.
Under the new model, existing European Jabiru agents will transition to become Jabiru Approved Maintainers, receiving priority access to OEM training, technical documentation and direct engineering support. The result, Jabiru says, is a European support ecosystem combining genuine factory backing with local expertise.
"Partnering with JDM Aviation to create a locally focussed support infrastructure is critical to supporting our owners and operators of Jabiru aircraft and engines," said Jabiru director Michael Halloran.
Jabiru has delivered more aircraft and engines than any other organisation in Australian history and currently operates across more than 50 countries.