Pilatus Opens CHF100 Million Composite Manufacturing Center in Switzerland

Updated on August 17, 2026 • 4 min read

Pilatus Aircraft has opened its new “Schwarzhorn” advanced composites center in Nidwalden, Switzerland, bringing composite component development and production together under one roof for the first time.

The CHF100 million facility provides workplaces for around 300 employees and represents the largest single facility investment Pilatus has made to date.

More importantly for the composites industry, Schwarzhorn supports Pilatus’ plans to expand the use of fiber-reinforced materials beyond secondary aircraft components and into more structural applications.

Pilatus Expands Its Composite Manufacturing Capability

Pilatus has used composite materials for more than 40 years, primarily for non-load-bearing secondary structures such as aircraft covers and cowlings.

The PC-24 Super Versatile Jet marked an important change in this approach.

Pilatus uses composites for load-bearing control surfaces on the aircraft, introducing the materials into primary structural applications where reducing component weight can contribute to lower aircraft mass and fuel consumption.

Building on this experience, the Swiss aircraft manufacturer says it intends to expand its use of composites in the future.

The Schwarzhorn facility establishes the manufacturing infrastructure needed to support that direction while also creating closer links between composite engineering and production.

Composite Production Consolidated Under One Roof

Named after a Swiss mountain as well as the dark appearance of the composite components produced there, Schwarzhorn consolidates multiple stages of composite manufacturing within a single facility.

Operations cover raw material delivery and storage, component manufacturing, subassembly, surface treatment, finished-part storage and order picking.

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

Bringing these operations together is intended to create a more integrated production flow and allow the teams involved to focus more closely on manufacturing and other value-adding activities.

The facility also creates space for Pilatus to introduce additional manufacturing and inspection technologies as its composite operations develop.

Automation and Inspection Could Play a Larger Role

Pilatus says the new manufacturing areas provide opportunities to further automate production processes and introduce advanced inspection technologies.

The company has not detailed which specific composite manufacturing or inspection systems will be deployed in future expansions.

However, locating engineering and manufacturing teams within the same center could help shorten the feedback loop between component development, production and inspection as new composite structures are industrialized.

This integration becomes increasingly important as composites move from relatively straightforward secondary structures into more demanding load-bearing aircraft components.

“With this building, Pilatus is once again reaffirming its commitment to Switzerland as a place of innovation, manufacturing, and training,” Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher said.

At CHF100 million, Bucher described Schwarzhorn as the company’s most expensive facility investment to date.

Sustainability Incorporated Into Factory Design

Pilatus has also incorporated several energy-management measures into the new facility.

Photovoltaic systems have been installed on both the roof and facades, while process-related waste heat is reused within the building. Groundwater is used as part of its heating and cooling infrastructure.

These measures are intended to reduce the facility’s dependence on externally supplied energy.

Pilatus is also seeking LEED Platinum certification for Schwarzhorn. If achieved, it would be the company’s first facility to receive the certification.

Building Infrastructure for More Composite Aircraft Structures

Schwarzhorn represents more than an expansion of Pilatus’ existing production floor.

By placing composite development, manufacturing, subassembly and finishing within one integrated facility, the company is establishing infrastructure that can support broader adoption of composite structures across future aircraft programs.

The PC-24 has already demonstrated Pilatus’ move from primarily secondary composite components toward load-bearing structures.

The next stage will be how the manufacturer uses the new facility’s production, automation and inspection capabilities to extend that experience to additional aircraft components.

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