OREANDA-NEWS. October 8, 2007. As part of the trade mission of John McGuinness, the Minister for Trade and Commerce of Ireland, the representatives of S7 Airlines were invited to the official reception held in the Embassy of the Republic of Ireland. During this event, the Company made a presentation and shared the details of launching the direct air service between the two countries.

S7 Airlines starts regular flights from Russia to Ireland. The direct flights S7-887/888 Moscow–Dublin–Moscow will be available three days a week (Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) beginning with the summer season of 2008. The flights will be operated with modern Airbus A319 jetliners. The remarkable fact is that this offer is absolutely unique, as neither Russian nor foreign airlines have flights on this route available at the moment.

“We are sure that launching of the direct air service between Moscow and Dublin will be a significant step forward in strengthening the Irish¬¬–Russian relations, and in developing closer economic, cultural and tourist ties between the two countries,” said Vladislav Filyev, the Director General of OAO Siberia Airlines /S7 Airlines/.

In return, John McGuinness said, “This is a really long-awaited flight. We have repeatedly stressed the need for such route, and we are very happy that the direct air service will be operated between Dublin and Moscow. We feel absolutely certain that S7 Airlines will build a reliable air bridge between our countries.”

The Irish economy is currently one of the most rapidly growing in Europe, and it has been booming for 15 years now. The GDP has more than doubled over the last 10 years, and the GDP growth rates exceed the average European growth rates by more than 2.5 times. The main cause of the capital inflow is low corporate taxes (10–12%). The major branches of the Irish economy include computer industry, financial and stock markets, telecommunications, and tourism.

The tourist attractiveness of the “Emerald Isle” (the second name of Ireland) is growing from year to year. In 2006, Ireland was visited by 6.5 million tourists. In future years, the number of visitors to Ireland is expected to continue to increase.

Airbus А319 belongs to the family of narrow-bodied aircrafts. The jetliners of this type are considered to be the best in their class, and are known for their high economic efficiency. The pilots of S7 Airlines completed the transition training, which included flight simulator training in the best training centres of the world.

To find out about the flight timetable, seat availability for a specific flight, fare rates and the conditions of their use, as well as to book tickets, please visit our website www.s7.ruor call us on 8-800-200-000-7 (the call is toll-free in Russia).

S7 Airlines continuously improves the service quality, upgrades the existing aircraft fleet, and takes every effort to make the trip pleasant and unforgettable for every customer. S7 Airlines occupies the leading positions in domestic flights operations, and is rated among the ТОР-50 air carriers of the world in this segment. In 2006, S7 Airlines made over 40,000 flights, and carried 4.9 million passengers and over 28,000 tons of cargo and mail. On May 30, 2007, S7 Group of Companies signed a contract for supply of 15 next-generation long-haul jetliners Boeing 787 Dreamliner; The Company is also entitled to buy ten more of these aircrafts on similar terms.