As the PC-12 quickly proved to be a commercial success, Pilatus sought to follow up with a complementary aircraft and began gathering feedback from customers of the type.

In response to this request, several customers reportedly expressed a desire for an aircraft that would possess both a greater range and top speed than the existing PC-12, while retaining the type's overall ruggedness and ability to make use of very short runways.

[7] Each of these three prototypes serve different functions in the development program; P01 is intended for exploring the flight envelope of the type, P02 is mainly for trialling the avionics and autopilot integration, and will spend much of its testing life in the US, while P03 is to be representative of production aircraft and will incorporate improvements made based upon the development work performed with the other two aircraft.

[15] During EBACE 2016, it was commented that the program was on track and test flights had been free of surprises; during a transatlantic crossing to the US, P02 had achieved a cruise speed in excess of 800 km/h (432 kn), which was better than expected.

[19] In the fourth quarter of 2018, the aircraft was certified by EU and US air authorities to land on and take off from dry sand or gravel runways.

[20] As of February 2020, the aircraft is certified to operate from/to grass, wet earth, dry sand, gravel and snow.

[23] In late 2014, an agreement between Pilatus and FlightSafety International will see the latter conduct US-based PC-24 pilot and technician training in Dallas, Texas.

[28] At the May 2014 EBACE, Pilatus sold the initial production run of 84 units 36 hours after orders opened.

Orders were to reopen after publishing the aircraft's final performance data and assessing operators' feedback.

Unpaved and short 856 m (2,810 ft) runways should be allowed next, and it should enter service in early 2019 as an air ambulance with three beds and an electric stretcher loader.

[31] They feature individual oxygen, vacuum and power systems for patient monitoring and support installed under a supplemental type certificate by aircraft medical interiors specialist Aerolite AG, for $13 million complete each.

[6] Several competing business aircraft were identified early on, including Embraer's Phenom 300 and Cessna's Citation CJ4.

[3] It is a low-wing cantilever cabin monoplane powered by two Williams FJ44-4A turbofans, each mounted in a nacelle on the side of the rear fuselage.

These updates included newly designed, lighter and more comfortable, quick release cabin seats; an optional galley to replace the forward coat closet; touchscreen-controlled avionics; tactile feedback in pitch and roll, plus limit protection; pilot-defined visual approaches and automated audible callouts.

Also approved were True Blue Power lithium ion battery sets which are 84 lb (38 kg) lighter and less expensive to maintain.