Pilatus will start taking orders for its new PC-24 business jet at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva next week. The Swiss planemaker announced the aircraft at EBACE 2013 and company chairman Oscar Schwenk told Corporate Jet Investorthe rugged new design has attracted a lot of attention.“The interest from potential customers has been overwhelming ever since,” Schwenk said. “It was soon clear to us that our new aircraft occupies a unique but typically Pilatus market niche.”
The aircraft is designed to operate from unimproved fields. It will seat up to 10 passengers, cruise at about 400 knots and has a range of 1950 nautical miles. Schwenk said that customers are lining up to buy it and at EBACE, the company’s booth will have a giant screen in the shape of an order book and as orders are taken they will be put up on the screen. The first aircraft is under construction and will be rolled out at the plant in Stans on Aug.1, Switzerland’s national day. First flight will be in early 2015 and first deliveries are planned for 2017.
