moscow news

Russia could soon sign a contract with a...

Russia could soon sign a contract with a U.S. space company on the delivery of Soviet-era rocket boosters in support of the development of the Taurus II space launch vehicle, a Russian newspaper said on Wednesday.

The European Union"s Lisbon treaty, aimed...

The European Union"s Lisbon treaty, aimed at streamlining institutions and raising the bloc"s global standing, came into force on Tuesday.

ST. PETERSBURG, June 21 (RIA Novosti) -...

ST. PETERSBURG, June 21 (RIA Novosti) - Rossiya Airlines, a St. Petersburg-based air carrier, plans to buy four A320 Airbus planes in 2008, a senior company official said Thursday. Gennady Boldyrev, first deputy director general at Rossiya Airlines, said an initial protocol had already been signed and a contract was being drawn up. The airline is expected to obtain the first A320 jet in November 2008. Boldyrev said his company would buy Tu-204-300 planes for private carriage, using federal budget funds. Rossiya also expects to receive three long-haul Boeing-767 aircraft later this year. The Airbus A320 is a medium-haul airliner with a passenger capacity of up to 120 and an average flight range of about 3,000 miles. Rossiya Airlines was established in 2006 through a merger between Pulkovo Aviation Company in St. Petersburg and Moscow"s Russia State Transport Company. Its pool has 52 passenger aircraft, including five Boeing 737 and two Airbus A-319 planes. At this week"s air show at Le Bourget outside Paris, Russia"s flagship airline Aeroflot signed a contract with Airbus to buy 22 A350 passenger planes and Russia"s S7 Airlines (formerly Sibir) said it would purchase 25 A320 planes.