A Swiss airplane maker is setting up shop near Bradenton. How will it help SRQ?

Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus has started construction on a new flagship campus at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

As the Bradenton Herald previously reported, Pilatus Business Aircraft LTD leased 17 acres of land for 40 years from the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority. The company is expanding its presence in the U.S. with a “flagship sales, service and production center” in Sarasota, which will be built in two phases.

The company now estimates that the entire facility will cost around $200 million, including $50 million for the first phase of construction, Aviation International News reported.

The initial phase includes 54,000 square feet of maintenance, spare parts distribution and new aircraft delivery areas. Additionally, there will be 17,000 square feet constructed for office and administrative space, according to a Pilatus release, for a total of 71,000 square feet in phase one.

This phase is described as a “significant milestone in the company’s continuing investment and growth at the airport,” according to a news release from Pilatus.

The company previously anticipated opening the facility this year, but now predicts a late 2027 opening, according to Aviation International News.

Pilatus to build planes near Bradenton

The second phase of Pilatus’ business expansion into the Bradenton area will include an aircraft assembly facility with up to 300 employees. The airport’s board of directors unanimously approved the Pilatus facility in 2024.

“In Florida alone, Pilatus will create approximately 200 new jobs over the next five years,” a news release from the company said.

How will Pilatus campus benefit SRQ?

Aside from elevating the services SRQ offers, former Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority president and CEO Rick Piccolo says the jobs this project will create are of immense importance to the local community.

“It’s the jobs and the fact that it’s now going to meld with these schools we have on the airport,” Piccolo said. “So kids can go to school here and then walk basically across the taxiway and go work for a great company at a very high salary in a very skilled position.”

A possible third phase of Pilatus’ SRQ campus could include an aircraft paint facility and training center, according to Aviation International News.

Why is Pilatus expanding to Florida?

Starting this year, Pilatus consolidated all U.S. subsidiaries into one company, Pilatus Aircraft USA LTD., and the new corporation now has several locations within the U.S.

Its company headquarters are located in Broomfield, Colorado, and it has additional operations in Westminster, Maryland, Rock Hill, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia.

Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus, says that the company will be building “airplanes for Americans” in the company’s release.

“We are establishing Sarasota as a major production site, serving our customers right where they are,” Bucher said.

What kinds of planes does Pilatus make?

Pilatus manufactures the PC-12 single-engine turboprop and the PC-24 business jet. The Pilatus PC-24 has a range of just over 2,243 miles, and can “comfortably complete non-stop flights from London to Istanbul and New York to Dallas,” according to the Air Charter Service.

The cost of a new PC-24 aircraft is around $11.2 million, according to the Air Charter Service.

The new Florida site “will not affect existing employment at the company’s Swiss headquarters,” according to the Pilatus news release.

“Instead, it will support overall growth and ensure a timely response to strong global demand for the PC-12 and PC-24,” the news release continued.