The Swiss Confederation took delivery of a brand-new state aircraft, a Global 7500, intended to replace a 22.3-year-old Citation Excel. T-787 (msn 70208) was handed over to Swiss representatives on December 17, 2024, by Bombardier Business Aircraft, flying between Montréal Trudeau and Payerne two days later.
The ultra-long-range jet will be operated by the Federal Air Transport Service/Lufttransportdienst des Bundes (LTDB), a branch of Swiss Air Force/Schweizer Luftwaffe which is responsible for operating the aircraft used by the federal government, departments, offices, and the armed forces. The Swiss Federal Council approved the purchase of the aircraft for CHF103 million Swiss francs (USD109 million) in 2023.
The aircraft will enter into service in early 2025 and will be based at Payerne for the next two years, before relocating to Bern. It will undergo planned modifications during the summer and autumn of 2025, including the installation of a self-defence system, which is expected to be completed by the end of that year.
In the interim period until all the upgrades are completed, the LTDB plans to continue operating the Citation Excel. The air force also operates a 16.7-year-old Falcon 900EX. Replacement plans are under consideration but have been delayed due to budgetary constraints.
In addition to the aircraft assigned to the LTDB, the Swiss Air Force also operates two Challenger 604s tasked with air ambulance and transportation services. Previously, it operated two Learjet 35As, with the most recent retired in 2006, and a PC-24, inducted in 2019 and sold in 2022.
