Pilatus has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a sales, service and production facility at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Florida. The ceremony was attended by Pilatus executives and representatives of regional authorities and organizations.
The groundbreaking marks the first phase of Pilatus’s development in Sarasota. Future phases will expand into aircraft assembly. The facility will serve as a sales, service and production centre.
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Pilatus in the United States. We are bringing aircraft production to the United States,” said Markus Bucher, chief executive of Pilatus. “This flagship facility will be our fifth location in the USA, and will set new standards for quality, expertise, and technology in the southeastern United States. In America, we will build airplanes for Americans. We are establishing Sarasota as a major production site, serving our customers right where they are.”
Pilatus has been planning to expand its presence in the United States since 2022 in order to supplement capacity in Switzerland, which is close to maximum.
Pilatus will create approximately 200 jobs in Florida over the next five years. The company also plans to expand its existing US apprenticeship programs at various locations.
Effective 1 January 2026, Pilatus integrated all US subsidiaries into a single company, Pilatus Aircraft USA, creating an organization of approximately 400 employees. The company comprises headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado, plus locations in Westminster, Maryland; Rock Hill, South Carolina; and Atlanta, Georgia. Pilatus operates a PC-12 and PC-24 completion facility at its US headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado.
More than 2,300 Pilatus aircraft are in operation across North and South America. The Florida site will not affect existing employment at the company’s Swiss headquarters. The facility will support growth and respond to demand for the PC-12 and PC-24.
The project involves partnership between Pilatus, the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority, the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation and local, regional and state organizations.
