Pilatus brings production to Florida with Sarasota launch

The company has broken ground on its flagship US site, part of a long-term expansion effort to meet global demand and boost North American support.

Since 2022, Pilatus has been working to expand its presence in the United States in order to supplement capacity at its Swiss headquarters, which is now close to full. The company has now held a groundbreaking ceremony at Sarasota Bradenton International airport in Florida to officially begin construction of a new flagship sales, service and production facility.

“Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Pilatus in the United States. We are bringing aircraft production to the United States,” says CEO Markus Bucher. “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.”

The Sarasota project is supported by a number of regional and state organisations, including the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority and the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation.

As of 1 January 2026, Pilatus has unified all its US operations into a single company, Pilatus Aircraft USA Ltd, with around 400 employees and harmonised systems. This includes sites in Colorado, Maryland, South Carolina and Georgia. Pilatus also runs a PC-12 and PC-24 completion centre at its Broomfield headquarters. The additional Florida facility will support ongoing growth and will not affect employment in Switzerland. Pilatus will also expand its US apprenticeship programmes as part of the development.

Across North and South America, more than 2,300 Pilatus aircraft are currently in service.