Swiss long-haul specialist Comlux has placed an order estimated at $200 million to become the launch customer for the Sukhoi Business Jet. The deal covers two of the aircraft, which are a vip version of the Superjet 100 regional airliner, for delivery in 2014 and options for a further two.

The cabin interiors will be designed and outfitted by Comlux America, which has been appointed as the first approved Sukhoi Business Jet completion centre.

"Comlux has gained its reputation by offering a unique one-stop-shop solution for the widest range of wide cabin vip aircraft," says president Richard Gaona. "Combining our expertise in aircraft transaction, our capabilities of cabin completion in Indianapolis, our Fly Comlux forces to display and charter the SBJ, together with Superjet's willingness to be a major player in business aviation, we are looking forward to an exciting time."

The full cost of the aircraft will not be known until the interior configurations have been defined, but is expected to be 'very attractive', and operating costs are also expected to be low as a result of the aircraft's latest technology systems: "We are convinced that the SBJ, equipped with the latest fly by wire technology and integrated modular avionics, will deliver the efficiency and the reliability that our vip customers are looking for," says Gaona.

The first aircraft will "probably be based in Russia or the CIS," says Comlux. The SBJ has a 4,192 cubic feet cabin, and a range of approximately 4,300 nm thanks to its additional fuel tanks. The launch of the vip aircraft version came just four months after the entry into service of the Superjet 100 itself in April this year. EASA certification of the Superjet 100 is expected by the end of the year, and an STC will be required after that for the vip variant's additional fuel tanks.

Comlux has 19 aircraft in service, comprising a BBJ767, two Airbus ACJ318, two ACJ319, ACJ320, four Global Express, three Global 5000, three Challenger 605, two Challenger 850 and a Falcon 900LX. It also has eight aircraft on order or in the completion phase; an Airbus ACJ319, two Global 6000, two Global 7000 and three Legacy 650.