Introduced as a brand of luxurious limousines for Kremlin officials, the name Aurus now applies to VVIP-configured helicopters and business jets, certification of which United Aircraft Corporation expects later this year.

Derived from the Sukhoi Superjet (SSJ) regional airliner, the Aurus Business Jet (ABJ) differs from its progenitor with a VIP interior from Kazan-based Tulpar Interior, a completions division of Tuplar Aerospace. Its cabin is divided into three zones: a dining room, a negotiations room, and a sleeping chamber, plus a kitchen, shower, and toilets. The first such airframe, registration RA-97009, went on display at July’s MAKS’2021 aerospace show at the Ramenskoye aerodrome near Moscow and, four months later, at November’s Dubai Airshow. Rostec corporation owns the airplane and invested 900 million roubles (some $12 million) in a factory-standard SSJ100-95LR and the interior package it carries.

A dozen VIP-configured Superjets have gone to customers, chiefly Russia’s government structures and industrial giants. Known as Sukhoi Business Jets (SBJ), the name became somewhat obsolete after United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) rebranded the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) as the Regional Aircraft division of the Irkut Corporation. The renaming exercise came as part of ongoing changes in the corporate structure of UAC, itself a member in the quasi-state-controlled Rostec.

The ABJ differs structurally from the SBJ with airframe and interior alterations to accommodate a third toilet room, a shower, a satcom system, fast internet (20Mbps), and built-in boarding stairs to ground level, allowing travelers to embark and disembark the aircraft without the need for a boarding bridge.

The ABJ also comes with recently developed winglets and additional fuel tanks that allow it to meet a range target for nonstop flights between Moscow and Vladivostok, at about 3,900 nm. The range for a factory standard SSJ extends to 1,620 nm for the basic (RRJ-95B/SSJ100-95B) version and 2,484 nm for the long range (RRJ-95LR/SSJ100-95LR).

The ABJ represents a joint effort by Rostec, acting through UAC, and the Aurus company, itself a joint venture between Russia’s research and development automotive and engine institute (NAMI) and the United Arab Emirates’ Tawazun Strategic Development Fund. Established to carry out the Cortege project to develop luxury limousines, the Aurus company shipped its first deliverable automobile to the Kremlin administration for use as personal transport for President Putin.

At MAKS’2021, RA-97009 made its appearance as a further-improved SBJ and proved well received by potential clients and investors. Rostec, therefore, decided to collaborate with Aurus to implement a number of the latter’s design changes to continue improving the product. UAC insists that the ABJ is not just an improved SBJ but rather a new version of the VIP product. The developers now market the ABJ as a part of the Aurus product line along with the Ansat-Aurus helicopter (RA-20103 configured for five passengers debuted at MAKS’2019), luxury limousines, a racing car, and an electric bike.

The sticker price ranges from $39 million to $50 million, depending on options. Russian minister for industry and trade Denis Manturov stated that its combination of flight performance, cabin space, and acquisition and maintenance costs make the ABJ “absolutely competitive in its segment.” Outside of Russia, the ABJ may find customers among countries that prefer to buy Russian or cannot buy from the West because of economic sanctions.