Pilatus reported an extremely successful year in 2021, overcoming numerous challenges, including supply chain disruptions and supply bottlenecks, which impacted the efficiency of work and resulted in higher costs. Nonetheless, Pilatus’s strong 2021 results included sales of 1.333 billion Swiss Francs (about $1.42 billion), with an EBIT of CHF 210 million, or 15.75%. New orders received were CHF 1.734 billion, yielding a book-to-bill ratio of 1.30. Their annual report can be found here.
The company’s sales grew 19 percent and operating results were 35 percent higher than in 2020. The company delivered 152 aircraft, including 45 PC-24s, 88 PC-12 NGXs, 17 PC-21s, and 2 PC-6s. Strong demand in both civil and military applications also resulted in a strong backlog going forward. The company also introduced the PC-7, an all-new military trainer.
Profit-sharing for more than 2,100 employees amounted to about 1.5 months’ salary, a reflection of Pilatus’s strong 2021. The company plans to hire 120 additional staff in 2022 and is nearing the capacity of its production facilities.
Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher stated: “Thanks to a great deal of hard work and flexibility, we achieved a very good result of which the entire crew may be justifiably proud. Demand for our products and services has rarely been so high. Meeting customer expectations despite unreliable supply chains and continuing de-globalization will, however, ensure our work remains challenging.”
Pilatus’s strong 2021 results bode well for the company in 2022. Hansueli Loosli, Chairman of the Board, stated: “We will see further turbulence in 2022. But we have got off to a good start and we look to the future with confidence. Pilatus has a unique product range and quite simply the best products in their respective niches. We also have a good order book, which provides us with a solid foundation. The reinforced Board of Directors, together with the entire Pilatus team, will do all we can to fly Pilatus into a promising future.”
