Pilatus Opens $123 Million Advanced Composites Center in Switzerland

Updated on August 15, 2026 • 5 min read

Pilatus Aircraft has opened a new advanced composites facility in Nidwalden, Switzerland, bringing composite component development and manufacturing together under one roof as the aircraft manufacturer prepares to expand its use of fiber-reinforced materials.

Named “Schwarzhorn”, after a Swiss mountain and the dark color associated with composite components, the facility represents an investment of CHF100 million, approximately $123 million.

According to Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher, it is the most expensive facility the company has built.

Around 300 employees will work at the center, which consolidates activities ranging from incoming composite raw materials through component manufacturing and finishing.

Pilatus Brings Composite Development and Production Together

One of the main changes introduced by Schwarzhorn is the consolidation of Pilatus’ composite operations.

The facility covers the complete internal production sequence, including raw material delivery and storage, component manufacturing, subassembly, surface treatment and finished-part storage.

Completed components can then be supplied directly to aircraft final assembly as finished kits.

Bringing these operations into a single building is intended to streamline material and component flow while creating a closer connection between composite development and industrial production.

More Than 40 Years of Composite Experience

Pilatus has worked with composites and other fiber-reinforced materials for more than four decades.

Historically, however, much of that use was concentrated in secondary, non-load-bearing aircraft structures, including covers and cowlings.

These applications provide weight and design advantages but generally carry different structural requirements from components forming part of an aircraft’s primary load path.

Pilatus’ more recent aircraft programs have begun changing that picture.

PC-24 Moves Composites Into Primary Structures

The PC-24 business jet represents an important development in Pilatus’ composite strategy because the aircraft incorporates composites in primary structural components.

Pilatus says the lower mass of these structures contributes to improved aircraft fuel efficiency.

The company has also gained experience with load-bearing composite control surfaces, providing a technical foundation for expanding the material into additional structural applications.

The Schwarzhorn investment therefore represents more than additional manufacturing capacity. It gives Pilatus dedicated infrastructure to support a broader transition from secondary composite parts toward more demanding aircraft structures.

Structural Composites Offer a Route to Aircraft Lightweighting

Weight remains one of the principal considerations in aircraft design because reductions can influence fuel consumption, payload and overall operating efficiency.

Using composite materials in primary structures can provide opportunities to reduce structural mass, but these applications also require tightly controlled manufacturing and quality processes.

By placing development and production in the same facility, Pilatus can manage more of this process internally as it evaluates additional composite applications.

The new center could therefore play an increasingly important role in future aircraft development as the manufacturer builds on the experience gained from the PC-24.

Schwarzhorn Designed Around Energy Efficiency

Pilatus has also incorporated several environmental measures into the building itself.

Solar panels have been installed across the roof and facades, while process-generated waste heat and groundwater are used as part of the facility’s heating and cooling systems.

The building was designed to enable Pilatus to pursue its first LEED Platinum certification, the highest level within the LEED green building rating system.

Pilatus Prepares for Wider Use of Aircraft Composites

The significance of Schwarzhorn lies in the combination of manufacturing scale and technical integration.

Pilatus is not new to composite manufacturing. What is changing is the role those materials are expected to play within its aircraft.

After more than 40 years of primarily producing secondary composite structures, experience with the PC-24 has demonstrated their use in load-bearing applications.

The CHF100 million Schwarzhorn center now provides Pilatus with an integrated development and production base as it prepares to extend advanced composites into a wider range of aircraft structures.

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