The Swiss aerospace giant born from a wartime plan to build factories inside mountains

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1939, Pilatus Aircraft was founded with a strategic, defensive purpose. Originally intended to be tucked away inside a mountain ridge, the company has since evolved from a maintenance workshop into a global leader in specialized short takeoff and landing aircraft.

The origins of Pilatus Aircraft are deeply rooted in Swiss neutrality and defense. Following a failed 1938 attempt to secure licensed Spitfires from Vickers, the company was established on December 16, 1939, by Emil Bührle and Antoine Gazda. The location in Stans was chosen specifically for its distance from national borders, with early plans even suggesting the production facility be constructed inside the Mount Pilatus massif.

While the company began by performing maintenance and assembling EKW C-35 reconnaissance biplanes, it quickly moved into original designs. Early projects were often experimental or financially risky; for instance, the SB-2 Pelican, which first flew in May 1944, resulted in a financial loss greater than the company's total compensation for the work. However, the company found stability through specialized niches, particularly in training aircraft and Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) models.

The company's history is marked by both technical triumphs and significant legal and political complexities. In the 1970s, the revival of the PC-7 Turbo Trainer program, spurred by the 1973 oil crisis, generated the profits necessary to fund future innovation. More recently, the firm has navigated intense scrutiny, including a 2019 investigation by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs regarding maintenance services provided to aircraft involved in the Yemen war, and a 2019 bribery investigation in India concerning a $350 million deal for PC-7 MkII trainers.

Today, Pilatus remains a major player in the aerospace industry, employing approximately 3,000 people as of August 2025. Its portfolio ranges from the highly successful PC-12 turboprop, which saw 1,800 deliveries by April 2021, to the PC-24 jet, designed to bridge the gap between turboprop versatility and jet performance.

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