Pilatus has obtained type certificates from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for it PC-24 jet.
Achieving certification of what it dubs as its ‘Super Versatile Jet’ on December 7 prepares the way for initial customer deliveries, with the first PC-24 is due to be handed over to PlaneSense in Stans this month, Pilatus stated on December 8.
That aircraft will then be flown to the US in January for official delivery to the customer.
There are eight PC-24s on the assembly line in Stans, and 23 deliveries to customers are expected in 2018.
“In any project to develop a new aircraft, certification by the aviation authorities is by far the most important milestone, given that it means deliveries to customers may go ahead, generating revenue for the manufacturer,” Pilatus stated.
The development project was officially announced in 2013, but work on the business jet has been in progress for 11 and a half years.
The first PC-24 prototype completed its maiden flight in May 2015, and the three prototypes used in the certification program have flown a total of 2,205 hours so far.
Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service will be an early operator of the type, with both the Perth-based Western Operations and Adelaide-based Central Operations sections holding orders for the type.
