Japanese Membership Air Charter Firm Orders 20 Kodiaks

Quest Aircraft today announced a fleet order for 20 Kodiak 100s from Sky Trek, a new private air charter operator in Japan. The agreement was signed two weeks ago at NBAA 2016, and the first aircraft was delivered last month, according to Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest. Deliveries will continue through late next year, a Quest spokeswoman told AIN.

“We are excited to have completed such a large order for the Kodiak,” said Quest senior vice president of sales, marketing and customer service Nick Newby. “While we have had other fleet sales for multiple Kodiaks, this represents our largest commercial fleet order to date.”

Sky Trek chose the turboprop single for its ability to take off in less than 1,000 feet at full gross takeoff weight of 7,255 pounds and climb at more than 1,300 feet per minute. “These attributes make the Kodiak well suited for use in Japan, where the topography and private transportation infrastructure can be challenging,” Quest Aircraft said.

The Kodiaks will be used for Sky Trek’s new membership-based private travel service that it officially launched on November 7. It plans to begin service in the spring. Both corporate and individual memberships are available, Sky Trek said.