Pilatus has again beat the competition with its PC-21 aircraft. Following a professional evaluation of several international aircraft manufacturers, the Spanish Air Force has bought 24 training aircraft of this type, announced a statement. The contract is worth more than 200 million euros.
As well as the aircraft, Pilatus will deliver an integrated training system to Spain. The overall package can reduce the cost of training military pilots – in part because the single-engine turboprop aircraft "require much less fuel than any comparable jet trainer", according to the statement.
“As a small Swiss aircraft manufacturer I’m delighted at our repeated success in winning through over large, international competitors. This result is proof that, with our PC-21, we can deliver the very best training system in the world,” commented Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of Pilatus.
With the order for Spain, Pilatus has sold 235 PC-21s to nine air forces – including Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, France and Australia. The aircraft are produced at the company’s headquarters in Stans. Pilatus’ training aircraft business has already created more than 100 jobs.
