Kvikk business jet - Aerion

Sparkle Roll To Sell Aerion AS2 SSBJ in Greater China

Sparkle Roll Group is now the exclusive sales representative for Aerion Corp.’s supersonic business jet (SSBJ) in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Reno, Nevada-based Aerion and Sparkle Roll, one of China’s largest CCAR Part 135/91 operators, signed the sales representative agreement this week in Shanghai at ABACE 2015. Aerion’s Mach 1.5 AS2 business jet–announced last May at EBACE 2014 in Geneva and priced at more than $100 million–is currently undergoing advanced design phase, during which the aircraft’s propulsion systems, structures, avionics and equipment are specified and sourced. The company is targeting first flight of the three-engine SSBJ in the 2019 timeframe, with entry into service expected in 2022. “Sparkle Roll knows our market, knows the customer base for the AS2 and will play a key role in introducing routine supersonic flight in China and beyond,” said Aerion co-chairman Brian Barents. “Chinese business leaders will save hours on every long-range flight in the AS2 versus a subsonic jet,” noted Mr. Li Xuefeng, chairman of Sparkle Roll Technik Co. Ltd. and executive director/CEO of Sparkle Roll Aviation (Holding) Group. “There is no question that the benefit of substantially greater speed will be highly valued by aviation users in our markets.”