DUBAI—Russia’s Irkut Corporation showed off its Aurus Business Jet at Dubai Airshow, the first international showing for the OEM’s bizjet version of the Superjet 100 regional jet.
Several SSJ100s in VIP configuration already operate in Russia and abroad, but they have been customized from green airframes by the clients who have then installed luxurious passenger cabins.
Irkut Regional Aircraft—formerly known as Sukhoi Civil Aircraft—has made a more thorough modification of the SSJ100LR variant. It includes a built-in stairway, internet connectivity and additional fuel tanks. The latter expands the ABJ range to 7,200 km (3,888 nm), which is by almost 2,500 km farther than the LR variant.
The VIP passenger cabin for the ABJ was designed by UK-based DesignQ and then manufactured and installed by Russian specialist Tulpar Interior Group in Kazan, deputy head of Irkut Regional Aircraft Evgeny Andrachnikov told ShowNews at Dubai Airshow.
Each element of the new business jet will be approved through separate supplemental type certificates.
“We will do our best to complete the certification during 2022,” Andrachnikov said.
The aircraft was put under the Aurus brand specially for the Dubai Airshow. Aurus also includes a VIP-version of Russia’s Ansat light helicopter as well as limousine road vehicles designed for Russian government officials.
Sergey Chemezov, head of Irkut’s parent Rostec, said at Dubai Airshow that the price for the ABJ will start from $39 million and rise to $50 million, depending on the configuration.
Andrachnikov hopes to announce first orders for the ABJ soon. He estimates the market for bizjets of this size at 170 aircraft annually.
