Pilatus Reports Growth In 2017

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Pilatus has reported that 2017 was an “exceptionally successful” year. The company, based in Switzerland, delivered 115 aircraft and grew to more than 2,000 full-time employees, the highest number ever for the workforce, according to the annual report, recently released. Most of the new airplanes were the PC-12 NG single-engine turboprop, with 85 delivered. The PC-24 twin-engine jet was certified by both the FAA and EASA in 2017, and the first one was delivered at the end of the year, to a U.S. customer. It already has logged more than 250 hours, the company said. Current orders in hand total about $2 billion in U.S dollars, according to Pilatus, equivalent to about two years’ worth of sales revenue. “Our most important goal of the year was certification for the PC-24, and that was achieved,” said Oscar Schwenk, chairman. The company now has 84 orders in hand for the jet.

Pilatus has been expanding its after-sales service, which the company says is a growing source of revenue. The company now provides 24-hour, worldwide service to PC-12 and PC-24 owners. The company also expanded its PC-24 series production capacity, and moved its production teams into a new assembly hall designed to maximize efficiency. The company report shows that overall, numbers of airplanes delivered have been fairly steady, with 112 in 2013, and a peak of 127 in 2014. The value of orders received, however, has multiplied, from 410 million francs in 2013 to 1.4 billion last year. “The main goal for 2018 is to ensure a successful and wide-reaching launch for the PC-24,” said Schwenk. The PC-24 seats up to eight passengers, has a top speed of 500 mph and a range of 1,900 miles. It can operate from runways as short as 2,700 feet.

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