Stans, Switzerland — a small village on Lake Lucerne. Pilatus Aircraft has been building aircraft here since 1939. The PC-7 turboprop trainer, the PC-12 — the world's best-selling single-engine turboprop — and since 2018: the PC-24, the first jet from Pilatus. And what a jet it is.

Pilatus PC-24 — Technical Specifications

  • Powerplant: 2 × Williams FJ44-4A (16.0 kN thrust each)
  • Range: 3,993 km (2,155 nm) at typical load
  • Maximum Speed: 815 km/h (Mach 0.74)
  • Max. Altitude: 45,000 ft
  • Takeoff Roll: 800 m on grass, 730 m on paved runway (MTOW)
  • Cabin: 8–10 passengers, width 1.57 m, height 1.52 m
  • List Price: approx. USD 11M (2024)

The Unique Selling Point: The Jet That Lands on Grass

What sets the PC-24 apart from every other business jet is its unique ability to operate from short, unpaved runways. With an 800 m takeoff roll on grass, it opens up a world of destinations simply unreachable for conventional jets — highland airstrips in Kenya, alpine runways in Austria, private farm strips in Australia.

This is no theoretical capability. Pilatus deliberately developed the PC-24 for these missions and extensively tested it in Africa and Latin America. The robust landing gear structure and sophisticated flap system come directly from PC-12 experience.

Who benefits from this? Mining companies, energy corporations, and NGOs transporting personnel to remote locations. Family businesses with their own landing strip. Governments in countries without developed airport infrastructure. The PC-24 is their only jet option.

The Cabin — Surprisingly Spacious for Its Class

For a light jet, the PC-24 has an unusually wide cabin — its cross-sectional profile is more akin to a midsize jet. The cabin can be configured in numerous layouts: from the classic VIP version with individual seats and club-four arrangement to the cargo door version (rear right), which also accommodates stretchers or Euro boxes.

The cargo door is not a secondary feature — it's a design objective. In rescue and disaster relief operations, medical evacuations, or technical equipment transport, it makes the PC-24 unrivaled.

Avionics: Garmin G3000

The cockpit is based on the Garmin G3000 Integrated Flight Deck — three large touchscreens, SVT (Synthetic Vision Technology), TCAS II, ADS-B In/Out, RNP AR capable. For a light jet in this category, it's state-of-the-art. The G3000's user-friendliness is undisputed in the industry — many pilots rate it higher than significantly more expensive proprietary systems.

Certifications: The PC-24 holds both FAA and EASA type certificates and can be operated worldwide. It is certifiable under JAR-OPS/EU-OPS for commercial charter operations. This significantly facilitates its use as a charter-back asset.

Market Position and Order Books

Pilatus has delivered over 150 PC-24s (as of early 2025) and holds orders for 80+ more. This makes it the most successful newly certified European business jet program in the past 20 years. Lead time for new orders stands at 3–4 years.

The pre-owned market is correspondingly tight: first-generation PC-24s (2018–2020) trade at 75–85% of the new price — well above the industry average. This also makes it one of the most attractive business jets in its class from a value retention perspective.

Caution with early PC-24s (serial numbers below SN-100): Some experienced FMS software issues and avionics bay temperature problems that have been addressed through Service Bulletins (SBs). Before purchase: verify compliance status of all relevant SBs through an authorized Pilatus Service Center.

The Pilatus PC-24 is not a compromise — it's a deliberate design decision for a specific mission: the comfort and speed of a jet combined with the accessibility of a turboprop. Those who fly this mission will find nothing comparable on the market.

For the European market, it's particularly interesting: short alpine runways, private airstrips in France and Spain, medical flights in Scandinavia — the PC-24 can do what no other jet can.