Swiss business jet and military trainer manufacturer Pilatus plans to open a sales, design and service centre in Southwest Florida.
The Stans-based company said on 27 August it signed an agreement with Sarasota Bradenton International airport to build a facility on 6.88ha (17 acres) of land on the north side of the field. The development will create 50 jobs initially, with potential for up to 300 skilled employees, and is expected to be operational by mid-2026.
Pilatus did not quantify the investment, but Rick Piccolo, chief executive of Sarasota airport, said it was in the region of “tens of millions of dollars”
“Our new facility in Bradenton will be a showcase for ‘Pilatus Class’ sales and service, and will be a flagship store that will serve as a model for our global network of authorised Pilatus sales and service centres,” says Justin Lazzeri, chief executive of Pilatus’ sales and service centres for the US East Coast.
Thomas Bosshard, chief executive of Pilatus Business Aircraft, adds, “We are very excited to take this significant growth step to support our customers with an outstanding ownership experience.”
“Florida and the US East Coast represent the highest concentration of Pilatus aircraft operations, sales and service activity in the world,” the company says. “In 2022, more than 6,200 Pilatus flight operations were conducted in the state of Florida alone.”
In 2023, Pilatus delivered 148 aircraft worldwide, up from 133 the year before, as demand for its flagship PC-12 and PC-24 remains high.
