PILATUS FLYING HIGH
The Swiss manufacturer ends the 2021 financial year in a healthy position, with strong sales, record deliveries and workforce reinforcement.
The post-pandemic period has been challenging for the industry as a whole. However, 2021 saw an uplift as the world finally took to the skies once more, and for Pilatus, the business turned out to be very brisk indeed.
THE NUMBERS
The 2021 financial year was extremely successful for Pilatus, as despite the difficult circumstances, the Swiss manufacturer set a new production record of 152 aircraft deliveries. Sales of 1.3 billion Swiss francs, an operating result of 210 million, and incoming orders worth 1.7 billion francs also signaled a successful year.
Pilatus achieved growth in sales of 19 percent and a 35 percent higher operating result compared to the previous year. The total number of aircraft delivered was also impressive with 45 PC-24s, 88 PC-12 NGXs, 17 PC-21s and 2 PC-6s, 152 aircraft handed over to customers.
Government customers included a follow-up order with France for nine PC-21s. Pilatus’ PC-12 NGX and PC-24 models made the most of the upturn in business and the company successfully presented its PC-7 MKX – a brand-new smart basic trainer for military pilot training.
“Pilatus achieved growth in sales of 19 percent and a 35 percent higher operating result compared to the previous year.”
These results are impressive, considering that Pilatus had the same challenges as its competitors, having to deal with supply chain disruptions and supply bottlenecks which had a negative impact on production.
“Thanks to a great deal of hard work and flexibility, we achieved a very good result of which the entire crew may be justifiably proud – demand for our products and services has rarely been so high,” commented Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus. “Meeting customer expectations despite unreliable supply chains and continuing deglobalisation will, however, ensure our work remains challenging. ”
STAFF BONUSES
Pilatus is rightfully proud of its workforce and that loyalty has been repaid with a bonus where all 2100+ employees at the head office in Stans received a share in the company’s profits amounting to one and a half months’ salary. It’s bonus schemes such as this that enable Pilatus to attract the most talented candidates for its future projects.
“We also have a good order book, which provides us with a solid foundation.”
BOARD CHANGES
Changes at board level have also enabled Pilatus to grow, with the Board of Directors composed as follows: Hansueli Loosli (Chairman), Lukas Gähwiler (Vice Chairman), Martin P. Furrer (member), Mario Rossi (member) and the newly elected members, Dominik Burkart and Annette Rinck.
Burkart served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2014 to 2021 and will now represent the shareholder side on the Board of Directors. Rinck is currently President & CEO of Leica Microsystems and has over 20 years’ experience in global industrial companies, working at Honeywell for the past seven years.
THE YEAR AHEAD
Hansueli Loosli, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Pilatus is optimistic for the year ahead, commenting: “We will see further turbulence in 2022. But we have got off to a good start and we look to the future with confidence. Pilatus has a unique product range and quite simply the best products in their respective niches. We also have a good order book, which provides us with a solid foundation. The reinforced Board of Directors, together with the entire Pilatus team, will do all we can to fly Pilatus into a promising future!”
