Pilatus Centre Canada to sell and service PC-24 jet

Pilatus Centre Canada of Thunder Bay, Ont., has been named the exclusive Canadian Authorized Sales and Service Centre for the new Pilatus PC-24 twinjet. The facility has been selling and servicing the popular PC-12 aircraft since 1997, and joins other newly-approved PC-24 sales and service centres in Mexico, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., stated, “We are pleased to complete the definition of our PC-24 partner network across all of North and South America, and Eastern Europe. Our goal, along with our partners, is to provide customers around the world with the highest level of service and support. Pilatus is confident that through our Authorized Pilatus Centers we will create a customer experience, the ‘Pilatus Class,’ that is unmatched in the business aviation industry.”

In related news, Pilatus Centre Canada announced today that its director of sales, Stan Kuliavas, has been promoted to vice president of sales and business development. Kuliavas has 15 years of aviation experience, including nearly a decade of Pilatus product involvement. Prior to Pilatus Centre Canada, he provided his leadership and sales expertise to Canada’s largest fractional operator.

“Stan has been an integral part of our team for the last three years, and we are delighted to have him continue his role in senior management, as well as now helping to develop the future growth strategy of the company,” said Robert Arnone, Pilatus Centre Canada president & CEO. “It is an exciting time at the company with the launch of the PC-24, and we look forward to Stan leveraging his expertise in the aviation industry to further position Pilatus Centre Canada as the leader in the field.”

Kuliavas confirmed there has been strong Canadian interest in the PC-24 since it was announced in May 2013 at EBACE. “The PC-24 is an aircraft that will be well-suited to the flying needs of Canadian operators,” he said. “The PC-24’s roomy flat-floor cabin, its unique performance characteristics, the large Pilatus cargo door, and attractive acquisition and operating costs will certainly turn a lot of heads. I’m excited to be taking on additional responsibilities at Pilatus Centre Canada at such an exciting time in its history. The future is bright and exciting!”

According to Oscar J. Schwenk, chairman of Pilatus Aircraft, the first PC-24 prototype is currently under construction at the company’s headquarters in Stans, Switzerland, and is due to roll out of the factory on Aug. 1. A total of three aircraft will be used in the PC-24 flight test program. Certification and first customer deliveries are slated to occur in 2017. Pilatus will announce key launch customers and will begin taking formal orders for the PC-24 at this year’s EBACE convention in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 20, 2014.