Airbus Corporate Jets

ACJ is the VIP division of Airbus, building business versions of production airliners: the compact ACJ TwoTwenty (73 m² cabin, up to 18 seats), the narrow-body ACJ319neo and ACJ320neo, and the wide-body ACJ330neo and ACJ350. The key difference from traditional business jets is space: the 3.7 m wide cabin accommodates a bedroom, shower, conference room, and office. Support is provided through Airbus's global service network.

The ACJ TwoTwenty flies approximately 10,500 km—that's Almaty-London or Moscow-Singapore nonstop. The ACJ320neo offers a range of approximately 11,100 km with 25 passengers, the ACJ330neo up to 18,500 km, and the ACJ350 covers virtually any city-pair in the world nonstop. By comparison, a classic long-haul jet requires a technical stop on routes longer than 14,000 km.

A new ACJ TwoTwenty with trim costs approximately $88 million, while a ACJ320neo starts at $110 million for a "green" airframe, plus $25-40 million for a VIP interior. On the used market, ACJ319s from the 2000s sell for $25-45 million. The price is determined by the remaining life of the engines, the recentness of heavy maintenance, the year of manufacture of the interior, and the presence of additional fuel tanks.

These are direct competitors: the ACJ320neo versus the BBJ 737 MAX. The Airbus has a wider cabin—3.70 m versus 3.53 m for the Boeing—and its fly-by-wire controls are standardized across the entire line, simplifying crew training. The BBJ offers slightly longer range in the MAX 7 version and the vast 737 fleet worldwide. In practice, the choice is determined by cabin layout and the availability of service facilities in the region of operation.

ACJ is the VIP division of the European concern Airbus (headquartered in Toulouse, France), operating since 1997. During this time, more than 200 ACJ corporate airliners based on the A319/A320/A330/A350 series have been delivered. The airframes are the same as those used by thousands of airlines worldwide, ensuring reliability and availability of support.

Maintenance is provided through the Airbus global network, with major hubs in Europe (including maintenance bases in Germany and France) and the Middle East (UAE). Since the airframe is common with the high-volume A320/A330, line maintenance is available at virtually any major airport; heavy maintenance is handled at authorized Airbus stations.

The airframe is covered by the standard Airbus factory warranty, the engines are covered by the engine manufacturers' programs, and the avionics are covered by separate packages. The VIP interior is guaranteed by the cabin manufacturer. Airbus provides a full package of technical support and upgrades, similar to the A320/A330 commercial fleet.

«The "green" airframe (excluding the interior) is delivered in approximately 1.5–2 years from the time of order, followed by 12–18 months for the VIP interior at a specialized studio. In total, from order to delivery is approximately three years. This process can be expedited by purchasing an aircraft from a pre-owned slot or on the used market.

A new ACJ TwoTwenty with trim costs around $88 million, narrow-body ACJ319neo/ACJ320neo costs $100–130 million, and wide-body ACJ330neo/ACJ350 costs $240–350 million. On the secondary market, classic previous-generation ACJ319/320s are offered from $30–45 million. VIP interior costs up to half the price.

The lineup includes the compact ACJ TwoTwenty (18 seats, 10,500 km), the narrow-body ACJ319neo/320neo (19–25 seats, up to 12,500 km), and the wide-body ACJ330/350 (up to 50 seats, 18,000–20,000 km). The choice is based on the number of passengers and range: a TwoTwenty will suffice for families and teams of up to 18, while delegations and intercontinental flights will benefit from the larger models.