Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, the producer of the Superjet 100 new-generation regional jet for the global market, introduced the concept of a new aircraft with the cabin designed to fly professional sports teams, at Farnborough International Airshow 2016.

SportJet by Sukhoi will be the third product in the range of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft alongside Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) and Sukhoi Business Jet (SBJ), expanding the product's markets. The concept is based on the expertise and technology of Sukhoi Superjet 100, enhanced by innovative medical and IT solutions developed in cooperation with sports physicians, experts and managers. It will address the impact of flights such as jet lag, hypoxia, dehydration, stress on the body and aerophobia. The airliner is scheduled for release and certification in 2018.

According to Sukhoi, the sports air transportation market now exceeds USD 600 million per year. “We are sure that flights for professional sports teams on sportjets will eventually become an integral part of the air transportation market”, said Evgeny Andrachnikov, Senior Vice President of Commerce at Sukhoi Civil Aircraft.

Sukhoi announced plans to open its first overseas office in Beijing as part of its plans to expand into new markets and promote sales of Sukhoi Superjet 100, Sukhoi BusinessJet and SportJet by Sukhoi. “We are opening our corporate office in China as a part of our commercial strategy aimed at key international markets. China is a highly promising commercial aviation market and its potential grows year by year. Today Sukhoi Superjet can lay claims to becoming one of the most sought-after regional jets in China”, said Ilya Tarasenko, President of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft.