Quest Aircraft received type certification for its Kodiak 100 turboprop single from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, the company announced this week at Sun ’n’ Fun 2016. This adds to other approvals in the Asia Pacific region, including China, and worldwide brings the Kodiak to 22 total certifications covering 32 countries.

Quest president and CEO Sam Hill said Asia Pacific is the second-largest market for the turboprop, behind North America. He told AIN that he believes that in a few years Asia Pacific will be the top market for the Sandpoint, Idaho-based aircraft manufacturer.

Hill sees great potential in the region given its lack of aviation infrastructure. “The Kodiak can take off on dirt and grass strips, and with the optional Avocet floats, which were certified last year, the airplane can land and take off on water,” he said. “Along with its versatility, the Kodiak is ideally suited for the Asia Pacific region.”

There are 13 Kodiaks currently in China, with at least six more scheduled to be delivered by year-end. Hill also sees great potential for the Kodiak in Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and the Philippines. The turboprop is already certified in all of these countries.

Another growth area for Quest is Europe, since it will soon allow commercial single-engine operations in instrument meteorological conditions and at night. “We see an increased market for turboprop singles in Europe due to this,” Hill told AIN. “We also expect other countries that ban commercial SE-IMC operations to follow Europe’s lead, opening still more markets for Quest.”

To help meet this demand, Quest began a 75,000-sq-ft expansion at is Sandpoint headquarters in the fall that will allow the company to nearly double its output of Kodiaks. In addition, the airframer is expanding its worldwide dealer network and leveraging corporate relationships to open more global markets.

Quest delivered 32 Kodiak 100s last year and plans to ship 39 this year. With the plant expansion, this will increase to 52 next year and then go up to about 60 in 2018. To date, Quest has delivered 179 Kodiaks to customers around the world.

Part of the growth of its facility in Sandpoint will also include a research and development center. This will allow Quest to design follow-on aircraft to the Kodiak 100, according to Hill. “We’ve always said that Quest is not a one-aircraft company,” he told AIN. “Right now we’re doing market research to decide what our follow-on aircraft should be,” adding that any such aircraft will very likely be turboprops.