Article Posted on : - May 13, 2015

The PC-24 business jet. A Pilatus photo

GENEVA (PTI): Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus today carried out first successful flight of their new twin-engine business jet - PC-24.

The first ever PC-24 took off on its maiden flight on Monday (May 11) at 10:00 local time from Buochs airport in Switzerland.

Prototype P01, call sign HB-VXA, flew across central Switzerland for a total of 55 minutes. The flight went exactly as planned with no problems whatsoever, a statement by Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus said.

A total of three PC-24 prototypes will be built and used to complete a rigorous test programme of some 2,300 hours over the next two years.

Fewer than half of those hours will actually be flown in Switzerland, the remainder will be flown elsewhere.

Certification and initial deliveries of the first aircraft to come off the production line are planned from 2017.

The PC-24 is the world's first business jet to be equipped with a cargo door as standard, with takeoff and landing performance that allows the use of very short and even unprepared runways.

Indian Air Force currently uses Pilatus PC- 7 Mk II basic training aircraft.

Founded in 1939, Pilatus is the only Swiss company to develop, produce and sell aircraft to customers around the world.