During a press event last Friday in Russia, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) president Andrei Kalinovsky told AIN that completion of the first VIP Superjet airliner is under way. “Today, the contracted machine is being worked on, the interior is being installed. Certification for this version will be obtained later this year,” he said. “Delivery to the customer is scheduled by the middle of this year.”

Kalinovsky was speaking about S/N RA-97009, a Superjet 100-95B manufactured two years ago but not delivered to its intended customer. At the MAKS-2013 airshow held in late August in Moscow, this aircraft appeared in the colors of Russian arms vendor Rosoboronexport and with a mockup VIP interior.

Three more of these VIP airliners will be delivered before a “bona fide” business jet version, referred to as the Sukhoi Business Jet (SBJ), is certified. “The next step in this direction is through materialization of the agreement we have with Comlux,” Kalinovsky said.

The Swiss operator signed for two SBJs, with the requirement that the aircraft’s range exceeds 3,800 nm. Kalinovsky said SCAC’s designers and engineers are working on installation of additional fuel tanks to meet this specification, as well as an air-stair system and a new water-vacuum system enabling shower installation. He now anticipates that the SBJ will obtain certification and enter service in 2015 or 2016.