Now in its third generation, the company is led by CEO Beat Burlet, with nearly 170 employees in Fällanden alone. Heinrich Bucher’s original idea, “Flying with minimum weight and maximum of reliability,” is still implemented across the company’s now diverse product range with its unique lightweight construction methods using aluminum or composites. The company’s success over the last 70 years impressively highlights the country’s own internationally renowned commitment to innovation.

The Original Trailblazer: Heinrich Bucher’s Start as a Maintenance Expert
In 1953, Heinrich Bucher laid the foundation for a remarkable career that would have a lasting impact on the aviation sector. As a pioneer, he ventured into the world of aircraft maintenance, specializing in the repair and maintenance of galleys for the then renowned Swissair. His career started off in a modest environment – an old garage located in the idyllic community of Fällanden right outside of Zurich. The founder’s wife, Ida Bucher, was the first employee and a cornerstone to the company’s success. After years of working in aircraft construction, Heinrich had acquired a wealth of of experience when he founded the company in 1953. In his role as a master tinsmith at Swissair, he was responsible for the structural components on the aircraft. Consequently, one of Bucher Leichtbau’s main client early on was Swissair.

Decades of working with lightweight metals in aircraft construction ultimately led Heinrich Bucher to a decisive breakthrough in the 1970s. Departing from traditional balsa wood sandwich constructions, aluminum took center stage. With creative finesse, he designed galleys whose essential structure consisted of a clever combination of aluminum sheets and frame profiles. His journey would go even further – Heinrich Bucher set standards by designing doors as technological masterpieces. These were made of lightweight yet resilient metal milled directly from blocks. He followed a similar approach with a variety of latches and fittings, and over the years, many more innovations and new products would complement the Bucher product range.

Heinrich Bucher legacy would grow out of these unique contributions and developments in the aviation industry. His deep familiarity with the properties of lightweight metals and his innovative thinking not only earned him a place as a pioneer but also contributed to the development of innovative solutions in the aviation field.

Expansion in Fällanden
The expansion in Fällanden occurred in various stages to accommodate continuous growth and modernize its production facility with the latest milling machinery, used to created such products as the unique milled trolley doors.

In 1992, after the founder’s passing, the company transitioned its leadership to Heinrich’s three children, who then transformed Bucher Leichtbau to a joint stock company. The once simple design department then evolved into a modern engineering department that pushed the development and certifications of the Bucher aluminum galley system even further. At that time, in addition to Swissair, various major airlines such as Scandinavian Airlines, Lufthansa, and Austrian Airlines were already among the company’s closest customers. Additionally, the company expanded into the USA (Everett, WA.) where, with its close proximity to Boeing, it was able establish a solid foothold in the American market.

Swiss pioneering spirit and global presence.
The success story of Bucher Leichtbau reflects the unmistakable Swiss pioneering spirit. With perseverance, innovation, and a passion for excellence, the company leveraged its roots in Zurich Oberland to make a name for itself worldwide. For the past 20 years, the owner and president, Margrit Burlet-Bucher, has embodied these values. She believes in sustainable corporate management, not only for quality reasons but also to support the local economy by committing to its Swiss production site.

Today, the Bucher Group is structured into three companies, each specializing in their respective components and their own construction specialties and processes. Each individual company complements the others, with an ongoing exchange of know-how and experience.

Outlook and Gratitude
While Bucher Leichtbau AG proudly looks back on 70 years of success, its sights are firmly fixed on the future. The company is excited to continue i its innovation and to provide ground-breaking solutions for aviation, cabin equipment, rail transport, and helicopter rescue equipment in the coming years. In this moment of celebration, Bucher Leichtbau expresses its sincere gratitude to its employees, partners, and customers, all of whom have contributed to making this remarkable journey possible.

On the occasion of this milestone, Bucher is presenting a range of new products and advancements for aircraft cabins at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.

One highlight is the compact and portable SkyBassinet. Thanks to its patented folding mechanism, the new baby bed can be folded to the size of a small handbag, resulting in a space-saving of over 50%. This offers more flexibility in the use of storage space for cabin crew while providing maximum sleeping comfort for the baby.

Furthermore, a sliding class divider is being introduced for the first time, which serves to differentiate the flight classes within the aircraft cabin. Another innovative product is our enhanced Doghouse, a flexible and customizable storage solution for the cabin and crew, optimizing space utilization and increasing efficiency. Additionally, Bucher offers branding elements that allow airlines to showcase their logos, colors, and advertising messages throughout the cabin, optimizing the overall aesthetics of the aircraft and enhancing passenger interaction.

Apart from that, Bucher is showcasing a custom Galley directly from our production line. With a variety of sophisticated features and details, this Galley demonstrates Bucher’s commitment to high-quality craftsmanship and materials. The back wall of the Galley has been enhanced with an ultra-slim AerQ OLED monitor for the exhibition, allowing airlines to individually present their branding and product advertisements during the flight.

Visitors to our booth will have the opportunity to admire both the half-size and full-size ARCTICart^TM – a service trolley with highly efficient thermal insulation for inflight operations. Our trolleys comply with ATLAS standards both inside and outside and received FAA TSO certification in 2022. ARCTICart^TM can maintain temperature increase below 4°C for over 20 hours without the need for expensive dry ice. The ARCTICart^TM Ice-Packs provide additional safety by extending the duration for safe temperature maintenance.

With these and many other innovations, we aim to improve the passenger experience, support cabin crew, and reduce CO₂ emissions in aircraft operations.

All products, solutions, and inventions by Bucher are based on the principle of sustainability. Bucher focuses on the development and production of lightweight and more reliable products, which, due to their solid structure, have a long service life and allow for easy replacement of parts. This enables airlines to minimize their ecological footprint and extend the lifespan of their cabin equipment.

Bucher’s 70th anniversary is a clear testament to our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and quality. As a family-owned company with a long history of success in the aviation industry, we are well-positioned to continue offering innovative solutions for aircraft cabins worldwide.

You can find us at booth 5D60 in Hall B5 at the Aircraft Interiors Expo.

For more information about the Bucher Group, please visit:
https://bucher-group.com 

or contact us at:
bucher@bucher-group.com.

Bucher is very proud to have been selected as supplier for the airline and congratulates Condor on taking delivery of the first aircraft. The cooperation was once again exemplary – the entire project team worked together efficiently to achieve the high customization and design requirements.

The Swiss-made Galleys provide the best working conditions for the crew and enable them to offer the optimal service to passengers. Another key factor in the airline’s decision was the choice of reliable products with a long service life and very low maintenance costs. From the beginning of the project, the passenger experience was one of the most important topic for the airline and for the choice of supplier. Bucher was able to create this feel-good experience through a clever combination of Galleys and Stowages, illuminated branding elements and the use of Condor’s unique décor materials.

Bucher is also committed to sustainable products. Bucher Galleys are made of over 65% aluminum. After a useful life span of over 20 years these aluminum components can be fully recycled through a remelting process that only consumes 5% of the initial energy used to produce the primary aluminum. The clear ideas of Condor regarding design and custumization of the products could be realized by Bucher in the combined galley-stowage monuments, in the integrated branding elements at the galleys and in the production of a hybrid welcome area at a fully functional galley.

Quality has always been a driving force at Bucher. This can be attributed to the founder of the company, Heinrich Bucher, who was inspired by the idea of producing lightweight and reliable Galleys made out of aluminum. Bucher has continued to refine and optimize this unique lightweight construction concept. Nowadays, however, Bucher has expanded its product offering to also include composite and carbon fiber materials, thus allowing the company to easily and efficiently adapt its products to meet individual customer requirements. 70 years later Bucher continues to be a global leader in aircraft cabin interiors.

For more information about Bucher Group, please visit: https://bucher-group.com or contact us at: bucher@bucher-group.com.

Bucher is very proud to have been selected as supplier for the airline and congratulates Air Greenland on taking delivery of the aircraft. The cooperation was once again exemplary – the entire project team worked together efficiently to achieve the technical and schedule milestones.

Air Greenland is pleased to receive the high-quality Swiss-made Galleys, which provide the best working conditions for the crew and enable them to offer the best possible service to passengers. Another key factor in the airline’s decision was the choice of a reliable product with a long service life and very low maintenance costs. The airline is not only satisfied with Bucher cabin interior products, but also with the Stretcher solutions it has been using for many years.

In an announcement, the airline stated, “Bucher is known for its high qualty and top-notch service; we are delighted that Bucher delivered extraordinary Galleys and Stowages to Air Greenland’s new A330-800 aircraft. Air Greenland is looking forward to welcoming passengers in this beautiful aircraft.”

Bucher is also committed to sustainable products. Bucher Galleys are made of over 65% aluminum. After a useful life span of over 20 years these aluminum components can be fully recycled through a remelting process that only consumes 5% of the initial energy used to produce the primary aluminum.

Quality has always been a driving force at Bucher. This can be attributed to the founder of the company, Heinrich Bucher, who was inspired by the idea of producing lightweight and reliable Galleys made out of aluminum. Bucher has continued to refine and optimize this unique lightweight construction concept. Nowadays, however, Bucher has expanded its product offering to also include composite and carbon fiber materials, thus allowing the company to easily and efficiently adapt its products to meet individual customer requirements. Bucher continues to be a global leader in aircraft cabin interiors.

For more information about Bucher Group, please visit: https://bucher-group.com or contact us at: bucher@bucher-group.com.

We will be proudly presenting our newest multi-mission helicopter equipment – for the first time in the international market and exclusively in the United States.

Is your helicopter not working at full capacity? Do you want to carry out Search & Rescue, Military or Fire Brigade missions in the morning and VIP transports in the afternoon? Everything is possible with our newest innovation – the H135 AC67 flex.

Our presentation will give visitors fascinating first-hand information of the highly modular and customizable equipment that offers maximum flexibility for every operation. Depending on individual mission profiles, clients can choose between several mission configurations according to their needs and requirements.

Modular HEMS Stretcher System
We have further expanded our Stretcher system and can now offer our customers a completely modular solution on different configurations regardless of which loading device the customer uses. It can be installed in our AC70 HEMS equipment for the H145 or in the AC67 for the H135 as well as in the new AC67 flex equipment.

Modular Equipment Options
Learn more about Bucher’s modular equipment options! Our products have been designed to be used interchangeably and, as such, it is possible to use various elements of the AC67 HEMS equipment in a H145 or elements of the AC70 in a H135. One example is the multifunctional Center Cabinet with optional cabin heating and/or hot compartment for infusion bottles, storage compartments and a wide range of standard interface mounts for medical devices, which is included in the new HEMS kit AC67.

This interchangeability allows you to configure the equipment for any application with maximum flexibility, modular and individually adapted to the customer. Accordingly the weight of the helicopter can be reduced depending on the application.

Our 1:8 scale model, offers visitors the opportunity to get to know our modular equipment first hand. Visitors can take a closer look at a H145 equipped with the Bucher AC70 HEMS equipment and at a H135 equipped with the Bucher AC67 equipment during our digital presentations.

If you want to expand your business, visit us at our booth Hall B, Booth #2531 and experience outstanding Swiss hospitality as well as our proven lightweight and ergonomic design – you will not want to miss this!

We look forward to meeting you at HAI Heli Expo!

Customized products based on a high-quality standard, are the results of close and fruitful cooperation between the Bucher and Garuda Indonesia team.

The focus was on the arrangement of the inserts, including large 48-meal-ovens while optimizing work table space for the crew.

Commenting on the news, Beat Burlet, CEO of Bucher Group:

“I am delighted that Bucher had been selected to supply galleys and stowages to Garuda’s state-of-the-art fleet of 14 A330neo aircraft. The news is a testament to the quality products and service that Bucher is renowned for, and marks the start of our working relationship together. We are excited to see the finished product take to the skies.”

Quality is a key factor at Bucher. This can be attributed to the founder of the company, Heinrich Bucher, who was driven by the idea of producing lightweight and reliable galleys made out of aluminum. Bucher has continued to refine and optimize this unique lightweight construction concept. However, Bucher nowadays also offers composite and carbon fiber solutions, so the company remains flexible and can adapt its products to meet individual customer requirements.

At this year’s Aircraft Interiors expo in Hamburg, Bucher Leichtbau and Satair together signed a contract to supply galley spare parts. This agreement marks a first between the two companies.

„With this agreement, we want to give our customers the opportunity to benefit from Satair’s regional inventory and worldwide support. Bucher’s Terms and Conditions will remain the same. The goal of this partnership is to provide regional solutions and support to reduce lead times and further improve our award-winning customer service level”, states Beat Burlet, CEO of Bucher Leichtbau AG.

From this partnership our customers will only benefit. With the combined experience of the two companies in the aviation industry, the aim is to offer airlines even more added value. Explore these additional benefits and services by clicking here.

For Bucher, these are not just words but values that we live out in our daily work for our customers.

We are pleased to present our retrofit solutions at the MRO EUROPE 2019 in London. We will be showcasing our comprehensive consulting services, individual customization, fast onsite support and first-rate customer service team.

We offer a wide range of services to upgrade your Aircraft: insert changes, LED lighting solutions, branding elements, and laminate changes to name a few. Thanks to our modular concept we are also able to adapt our products according to your needs and requirements, quickly and efficiently. And the best part: We guarantee “linefit quality” for all retrofit solutions.

Visit us at booth No. 626, we look forward to meeting with you.

The last delivery was the first to be installed on-site by our specialists in the newly built FAL (Final Assembly Line) in Qingdao, in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong. The plant is the first H135 FAL outside Europe. The opening of this FAL took place after the cooperation agreement between Airbus Helicopters and China on the purchase of 100 H135s Helicopters has been signed in 2016. 95 of these 100 helicopters will be assembled in Qingdao starting this year.

The main components, such as the main fuselage, main gearbox and rear fuselage, will be delivered to China from Donauwörth, Germany and Albacete, Spain. The 6,500 square meter plant in Qingdao consists of four assembly stations, a painting cabin, ground and flight test areas as well as a delivery center. The Bucher team installed AC67 HEMS equipment at Airbus Helicopters Qingdao (China) at the Flight Line. Our very experienced specialists were able to meet the high on-site requirements for the installation, and the cooperation with the Chinese colleagues was also flawless. After the helicopter was lined entirely, our specialists started with the installation of our equipment. In addition to an electrical system installed behind the lining, this also includes various medical equipment mounts at different points in the helicopter. As a central work station for the physicians, a medical wall in the center with power supply as well as oxygen distribution system . This system is supplied by oxygen bottles, which are placed in a side window niche. The HEMS equipment consists of a stretcher system for the patient and three seats for the medical crew who care for the patient during the flight. The number of seats, as well as the remaining equipment, can be individually adapted to the customer’s wishes. The installation of the Bucher lightweight equipment is certified by the European EASA (STC) as well as the validation of the Chinese Aviation Authority CAAC. You can find more information about our equipment at:

“We are particularly proud of this work, because it highlights some of the skills and in-depth knowledge we have gained since the company was founded in 1953. It also provides a good behind-the-scenes look in to our company,” says Beat Burlet, CEO of Bucher Leichtbau AG.

In just a few minutes, this video will give you an impression of our core business: lightweight monuments. Bucher stands for openness, respect, reliability, integrity, trust and commitment. Our customers feel these values through our personal and professional approach and experience them as the result of their projects.

Bucher products are durable and robust resulting in very low total cost of ownership throughout their lifecycle. In addition, they are designed to be recycled up to 95% at the end of their life cycle.

Quality is in our blood at Bucher and has been since the company was founded in 1953 by Heinrich Bucher. It was Heinrich’s vision and drive for producing lightweight galleys that propelled the company forward in its infancy. To this day, Bucher has not only refined and optimized its unique aluminum-based design principle but it has also expanded its offerings to include composite and carbon solutions. These developments over the years have enabled the company to remain flexible and to adapt its products to individual customer requirements. Bucher remains to this day a reliable partner for all projects in Aircraft Interiors!