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Pilatus Aircraft Ltd

Established in 1939 as Pilatus Flugzeugwerke as part of Oerlikon-Bührle AG, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd is now the world’s leading manufacturer of single-engine turboprop aircraft and the only Swiss company to develop, build and sell aircraft and training systems on every continent. In 2000 Pilatus was sold to a Swiss investor consortium. Headquartered in Stans, in the heart of Switzerland, Pilatus is also licensed to perform maintenance and conversion work on various aircraft types. The Pilatus Group further includes three independent subsidiaries in Broomfield (Colorado, USA), Adelaide (Australia) and Altenrhein (Switzerland). Pilatus is one of the biggest employers in central Switzerland, with a workforce of over 1,100-1,300 people at its head office. The company attaches great importance to career development for young people and currently provides training for 100 apprentices in ten different professions.

Based in Broomfield, Colorado, Pilatus Business Aircraft, Ltd. was established in 1996. Sixty percent of all PC-12s which come off the production line in Stans are finished to customer specifications (interrior and exterior livery) in Colorado. The American subsidiary is also responsible for PC-12 marketing, sales and servicing activities in North and South America. Pilatus Australia Pty Ltd was set up in 1998 as PC-12 sales and marketing support centre. It is responsible for the markets in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and on the Pacific Islands.

Altenrhein Aviation Ltd (AAL), also a fully-owned subsidiary of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, started its operations on 1 January 2003. Located in eastern Switzerland at St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport, AAL specialises in the maintenance, modernisation and overhauling of Pilatus PC-12s and PC-6s, as well as other business and regional aircraft. Pilatus is supported by over forty carefully selected independent sales and service centers worldwide, all of which help Pilatus to provide first-class customer service at local level.

On 16 December 1939 a small maintenance outfit was set up to work for the Swiss Air Force in Stans, in the heart of Switzerland. World events at that time naturally ensured there was much innovation and development in the aviation industry, but no one could have foreseen that the founding of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd would mark the start of an international success story. Pilatus has gone from strength to strength since then, with a name that has always stood for Swiss quality and innovation. Pilatus products were, and still are, the number one worldwide in their niche sector.

The history of Pilatus as a manufacturer of new aircraft types began with the SB-2 Pelikan, built in 1940 and designed for use in mountain regions such as the Swiss Alps. But the P-2 and P-3, both of which were flown by the Swiss Air Force, brought Pilatus its first enduring success. The P-3 was also used by Swissair, as it was known back then. These two trainer aircraft delivered the experience Pilatus needed to succeed both in Switzerland and around the world.

The real breakthrough came in 1959 with the Pilatus Porter PC-6. An exceptionally rugged aircraft, the PC-6 is distinguished by its versatility and excellent STOL (Short Takeoff & Landings) credentials. Growth in sales on the international aircraft market was swift, and the PC-6 is still very much in demand.