Quest Aircraft Co., the Sandpoint-based maker of the rugged Kodiak light airplane, says it has been awarded type certification from the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee and the Civil Aviation Authority of Namibia, Africa.

A type certificate is a safety qualification that signifies that a respective governing body has recognized the airworthiness of an aircraft’s design and construction.

The Russian certification includes the 11 countries that make up the Commonwealth of Independent States, which formerly were part of the Soviet Union.

“There has been considerable interest in the Kodiak from the Russian and CIS market,” says Steve Zinda, Quest’s vice president of sales, in a press release announcing the certifications. “Now that we have certification in hand, our sales efforts in the area will definitely be enhanced.”

The Republic of Namibia is located on the west coast of southern Africa.

Quest is certified in 18 other countries and is seeking Europe-wide certification through the European Aviation Safety Agency.

The Kodiak is a 10-seat, single-engine turboprop airplane designed for short takeoffs and landings, including on unimproved surfaces. It also can be equipped as a float plane without structural modifications.

Quest employs about 175 people at its manufacturing plant in Sandpoint, where the company produces about three Kodiak airplanes a month.

The company has sold 144 aircraft since 2007, including the first sale by its European dealer in May.

Quest is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Setouchi Holdings Inc., which acquired the aircraft company in February.