Quest Aircraft

In a move to boost its manufacturing presence in North America, the French OEM buys a factory.

When you see the two fly together in a promotional video made for the Daher press conference at NBAA-BACE 2019, Daher’s acquisition of Quest Aircraft really begins to make sense. The TBM and the Kodiak make a striking, yet complementary, picture in the sky. On Monday, October 21, Daher Aerospace CEO Didier Kayat announced that […]

Daher, the French maker of the TBM family of sleek and speedy single-engine turboprops, said it will purchase Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest Aircraft, which builds the Kodiak 100 utility turboprop. The acquisition, Daher says, strengthens two of the company’s “strategic pillars” by boosting its market position in the turboprop segment and growing its footprint in North […]

I’m hanging out with photo­grapher Jeff Berlin and Quest’s chief demo pilot Mark Brown beside the stunning Green River, which through the millennia has carved a deep gorge flanked by dramatic red rock cliff walls through Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The river begins at the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and feeds into the […]

Ever since Quest certified the Kodiak in 2007, the Sandpoint, Idaho-based company has made continuous modifications to its single-engine turboprop. Unlike many aircraft manufacturers, however, Quest didn’t make a big deal out of these changes. However, recent improvements have prompted the company to make a public announcement. The most significant change in what Quest is […]

Quest Aircraft has landed European certification for the Kodiak single-engine turboprop, permitting deliveries of European-registered airplanes to begin. Quest says Europe is already home to six Kodiaks operating with U.S. “N” numbers. Rob Wells, the newly appointed CEO of the Sandpoint, Idaho-based manufacturer, called the EASA approval a “significant milestone” for the rugged 10-seat utility […]

Quest Aircraft this week named Robert H. Wells, an executive with more than 40 years of aviation experience, as its new CEO. Wells takes over for retiring CEO Sam Hill. Most recently, Wells spent 15 years with TAG Aviation, where he was CEO. “I am very pleased that an individual of Rob’s caliber and talent […]

Quest Aircraft, maker of the Kodiak single-engine turboprop, is receiving a further cash infusion to help fuel growth at the Sandpoint, Idaho manufacturer. Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co. signed an agreement with Quest parent Setouchi Holdings to acquire a $10 million equity stake in the company. Under the agreement, Mitsui is receiving a 12.5-percent holding […]

Quest Aircraft is wasting no time planning for the future after being acquired earlier this year by Japan’s Setouchi Holdings. The manufacturer is nearly doubling the size of its Kodiak production facility in Sandpoint, Idaho, where it has been building the rugged utility single-engine turboprops for nearly a decade. Construction of the new factory is […]

A Japanese conglomerate has inked an agreement to purchase Quest Aircraft, maker of the Kodiak single-engine turboprop, with a goal of greatly increased production. Setouchi Holdings plans to retain Quest’s management team and continue building airplanes in Sandpoint, Idaho, as it supplies the cash to allow the manufacturer to hire workers and increase manufacturing capacity. […]