Quest Aircraft’s Kodiak single-engined turboprop made its European show debut at Aero, as the airframer seeks to drum up sales of the 10-seat utility aircraft ahead of planned certification within the next six to 12 months.
“The Kodiak is already proving popular with European customers,” says Quest, which recently appointed Germany’s Rheinland Air Service as its exclusive dealership for the region. “Although the aircraft hasn’t received certification in Europe yet, we have already delivered five aircraft in to the region – the first in 2010,” it adds.
Quest has delivered nearly 140 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34-powered Kodiaks since the first aircraft entered service in 2007, and Europe is expected to account for a sizeable share of its future annual order tally. “The expectation is that it will become one of our largest regions,” says the Sandpoint, Idaho-based airframer. “There is a particular interest in our float-equipped Kodiak from commercial operators in the Adriatic and the Aegean.”
The €1.9 million ($2 million) Kodiak is already certificated in 18 countries, and several other validations are imminent.
Source: Flight International
