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2020-06-07

Pilatus Breaks Records

Pilatus has reported that 2019 was another successful business year for the company, exceeding the one billion mark with turnover of approximately 1.1 billion Swiss francs. The operating income totalled 153 million Swiss francs and incoming orders amounted to 1.1 billion Swiss francs.

The company said that 2019 will go down in the company’s 80-year history as another successful 12 months overall. The figures were similar to those reported in 2018. Total aircraft deliveries came in at 134 – 83 PC-12 NGs, 40 PC-24s and 11 PC-21s – the most extensive production programme yet.

Successful PC-24 Launch

The market rollout of the brand-new PC-24 has completed and Pilatus has left the build-up phase. 75 PC-24s have been delivered to date and are in use on every continent. The PC-24 with the most hours in the air has already flown over 1,800 hours. The order book re-opened in May last year and demand for the Pilatus Super Versatile Jet remains high. The PC-24 has won new clients such as Volkswagen and KSA, the Swedish air ambulance service, important milestones in a programme which is still young as yet.

A comprehensive post-certification test campaign was performed in 2019 to have the Super Versatile Jet approved for operations on rough field runways and in other conditions. All PC-24s are now authorised for use on wet and snow-covered unpaved and grass runways. Other PC-24 product improvements have also been made to eliminate initial teething problems and provide customers with extra added benefits.

Remarkable Response to PC-12 NGX

Pilatus launched the PC-12 NGX in autumn 2019: compared to its predecessor, this single-engine turboprop now boasts an improved engine, smarter avionics and a completely re-designed cabin with larger windows. The new PT6E-67XP engine by Pratt & Whitney Canada is impressive thanks to its electronic propeller and engine control system, which is a worldwide first in this market segment. After obtaining certification in 2019 and making appropriate changes to the production line, the market launch generated a large number of orders. Recently, the first customers took to the skies aboard their new NGXs.

Spain Selects PC-21

Finalised in 2019 and signed in January 2020, the PC-21 order from Spain is a very important step in securing future operations. From 2021 onwards, Pilatus will deliver a total of 24 PC-21s to the Spanish Air Force, the Ejército del Aire. The country is the third European air force to opt for this Next Generation Trainer.

If the General Aviation Division is indeed heavily impacted by the current economic difficulties, this order will prove essential for Pilatus in terms of providing sufficient activity for the workforce and continued business success for the company. It also demonstrates the importance of the two-pillar strategy – civilian and military business – in guaranteeing future economic viability.

Pilatus delivered the last of a total of 49 PC-21s to the Royal Australian Air Force in November 2019. This delivery – the final one for the time being – brings the worldwide fleet of PC-21s up to a total of 211 aircraft. An impressive figure indeed, and proof that the PC-21 is now a modern and efficient training system of choice.

Traversing Turbulent Times

Pilatus started the year with orders worth over two billion Swiss francs, not including the major order from the Spanish air force. But the Corona crisis is bound to leave its mark, and the promising outlook of the early weeks of the year has had to be revised downward, according to a company statement. Pilatus was quick to take appropriate countermeasures, including the introduction of short-time work for large numbers of staff. In the meantime, fewer than 20 per cent of employees are still affected by this measure. Supply chains remain disrupted, necessitating continuous reassessment of the situation.

Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of Pilatus, was quoted saying: “I am very pleased with our performance in 2019. I note, however, that the Corona pandemic has pitched us – and many others – into a period of severe turbulence requiring constant fact-based readjustment of our chosen heading. Every pilot learns how to make the all-important corrections to flight path and altitude. We are doing that exactly, reverting to the basics, as taught from the first hours of flight instruction – encompassed in the term good airmanship: aviate, navigate, communicate. In other words, retain control of the business, apply an analytical approach to problems and, finally, define a fact-based plan of action and communication.

“Under the leadership of CEO Markus Bucher, I have always tailored my management style to economising during the good times in preparation for the challenges of the future, all the time keeping our feet firmly on the ground – all entrepreneurs know that healthy liquidity comes before everything else! Specifically, that means paying realistic salaries, monitoring fixed costs at all times and distributing profits with prudence.”

Reference Text/Photo:

www.pilatus-aircraft.com

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