Pilatus Aircraft

Pilatus Aircraft

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	10 December 1939
Headquarters	Stans (Nidwalden) , Switzerland
Key people	Markus Bucher (CEO) Hansueli Loosli (Chairman)
Products	Fixed wing aircraft
Revenue	$1.07billion 2018[1]
Net income	$154.5 million 2018[1]
Number of employees	1905 (June 2016)
Parent	Oerlikon-Bührle (1939–2000)
Website	www.pilatus-aircraft.com

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is an aerospace manufacturer located in Stans, Switzerland. In June 2016, the company employed 1,905 people.^[2]

The company has mostly produced aircraft for niche markets, in particular short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft as well as military training aircraft.^[3] During the 1950s and 1960s, Pilatus developed a short takeoff and landing (STOL) light civil transport aircraft, the PC-6 Porter. In 1973, it was decided to restart work on a turbine version of the piston engine trainer P-3, which entered production as the PC-7 Turbo Trainer. In 1979, Pilatus acquired Britten-Norman, manufacturer of the Britten-Norman Islander and Britten-Norman Defender aircraft. During the 1980s, it developed the PC-9, an improved derivative of the PC-7.

During the 1990s, Pilatus opened up a broader civilian market with the introduction of the PC-12, a single-engine turboprop aircraft and has delivered 1,800 as of April 2021.^[4] In the 2000s, it also introduced a new member family of its military training aircraft, the turboprop-powered PC-21. During the 2010s, the company developed the PC-24, a twin-engined STOL jet aircraft capable of operating from unpaved runways.