GENEVA: Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland has continued its 1 billion plus Swiss Franc (CHF) revenue streak for 2015 with the RAAF’s 49-strong PC-21 order making up the firm’s largest for the year.
The company has reported a further 63 new jobs were created in Stans, Switzerland during 2015, and there was more major investment in site infrastructure.
Pilatus also more than doubled incoming orders compared to the previous year. Orders in hand at the end of 2015 amounted to 1.4 billion CHF, providing a comfortable base for the future. The largest fleet order was received from the RAAF, which ordered 49 PC-21s in December last year. The PC-21 will be used to train the RAAF’s future military pilots.
Last year alone Pilatus built and delivered 121 aircraft to customers all over the world. Around half were civilian models, the remainder were trainer aircraft. The civilian market is showing signs of recovering from the financial and economic crisis of 2008. In 2015 Pilatus delivered a total of 70 PC-12 NGs. Once again, North America, to which 49 PC-12 NGs were delivered, was by far its most important market.
Pilatus presented the new 2016 version of its PC-12 NG, boasting a fiveblade composite propeller and various aerodynamic improvements. Occupying an important place in the Pilatus portfolio, the PC-12 NG will remain the object of further development moving forward into the future.
Generating two-thirds of overall sales revenue, Pilatus trainer aircraft business again provided a very stable pillar for the company. Pilatus consistently adheres to a two-pronged business strategy as an effective means of compensating for the inevitable fluctuations.
2015 was the most important year yet in the development of PC-24, the company’s ‘Super Versatile Jet’. P01, the first PC-24 prototype, took off for a 55 minute flight on 11 May, becoming airborne for the first time after a takeoff run of just 580 metres. P02, the second PC-24 prototype, took off on its maiden flight just six months later.
The two PC-24s are currently engaged in a very intensive and challenging programme of test flights scheduled in Switzerland and abroad. Together, the two prototypes have already flown over 400 hours, successfully completing various essential tests required for certification. Deliveries to customers are scheduled to go ahead from the fourth quarter of 2017.
Chairman of the Pilatus board of directors Oscar J. Schwenk said he was proud of the almost seamless continuation of the previous year’s record results.
“2015 was another record year, but we already know that 2016 will not be quite as good,” Schwenk said. “Sales revenue and profits will be lower than in the past simply because the positive impact of fleet orders will not be reflected in our balance sheet before 2017, but we look optimistically to the years thereafter, having laid a very solid basis in 2016.”
