Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft will cease production of the legendary PC-6 Porter utility aircraft in 2019.
The single-engine turbo-prop has been in production since 1959, and its remarkable STOL capabilties have taken it into service in both military and civil operations in some of the most rugged and inhospitable terrain on earth. It is the aircraft that brought Pilatus Aircraft to the attention of the world.
According to the company, orders for the Porter have slipped to about 10 airframes per years, and with the plant in Stans, Switzerland, ramping up for the PC-24 jet, the decision was made that the PC-6 wouldn't continue.
“I am proud that the PC-6 featured in the Pilatus product portfolio, this aircraft has earned us fame and recognition worldwide," said Pilatus Chairman Oscar Schwenk. "But the time has now come to take a dispassionate look at the facts and admit that every product has a life cycle which must come to an end sooner or later.
"That moment has arrived for the PC-6. With an eye on the future, however, we now look forward to the imminent market launch of the PC-24 Super Versatile Jet, which embodies, and carries forward, all the original values of the PC-6.”
PIlatus also stated that the company had positioned itself in the market as being "high-tech" and offering the latest generation of aircraft, a philosophy that the Porter no longer fitted into.
The company will accept orders for the Porter until mid-2018, but only a limited number of production slots will be available.
Pilatus plans to support PC-6 customers with spares for the next 20 years.