EASA and FAA Certify Safety Autoland for Pilatus PC-12 PRO

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have certified the Safety Autoland system for the Pilatus PC-12 PRO, enabling the single-engine turboprop to execute fully autonomous emergency landings.

In a press release issued on September 24, 2026, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd announced the dual certification milestone for its Stans, Switzerland-based manufacturing program. The system, integrated into the Garmin G3000 PRIME flight deck, is designed to take complete control of the aircraft in the event of pilot incapacitation, navigating around weather and terrain to land safely without human intervention.

Autonomous emergency capabilities and flight testing

Once activated, Safety Autoland communicates with air traffic control, configures the aircraft for approach, lands, and shuts down the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-67XP engine. The manufacturer stated that the goal of the final certification flights was to demonstrate a fully automated landing in real-world conditions from system activation through engine shutdown.

Pilatus test pilot Patrick Willcock, who holds 8,200 total flight hours, conducted the certification demonstration flights. Speaking to aeroTELEGRAPH, Willcock detailed the system’s performance during the testing phase.

“The system has landed the aircraft so calmly and controlled that I never had the feeling I had to intervene. The PC-12 Pro put down a more precise landing than all my previous manual landings with the aircraft.”

Market context and production growth

Pilatus officially unveiled the PC-12 PRO on March 14, 2025, and completed the first delivery to the United States market on December 23, 2025. According to Aviation International News, the addition of the Garmin Autoland system brings the PC-12 PRO into alignment with other single-engine turboprops and light jets that already utilize the technology, including the Piper M600, the Daher TBM series, and the Cirrus Vision Jet.

The manufacturer has reported strong demand for the updated airframe. During the first half of 2026, Pilatus delivered 43 PC-12 PRO aircraft. Aviation International News reported this represents a 72 percent increase in deliveries compared to the same period the previous year. This production volume contributed to a 35 percent rise in company billings, reaching $535.74 million over the first six months of 2026.

AirPro News analysis

The certification of Safety Autoland on the PC-12 PRO removes a competitive disadvantage for Pilatus in the owner-flown turboprop market. With competitors like Daher and Piper having offered Garmin’s autonomous landing technology for several years, its absence on the premium-priced PC-12 was a notable gap. We view this certification as a critical step for Pilatus to maintain its market-analysis among high-net-worth owner-operators, for whom emergency automation has transitioned from a luxury feature to a baseline safety expectation.

Sources: Pilatus Aircraft Ltd