MOSCOW, August 18 - RAPSI, Natalia Belova. The Moscow District Federal Commercial Court held against UTair Aviations appeal of an adverse lower court judgment in its 352,316,000 ruble ($12.3 million) claim against the Finance Ministry, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI).

The Moscow Commercial Court on November 18, 2010 held against UTair in its claim against the Finance Ministry. The airline had claimed that it incurred that amount in losses due to its policy in 2007 of allowing passengers under the age of 12 years a 50 percent fare discount as a privileged class of persons.

The Finance Ministry argued that children under 12 years of age are not a privileged class entitled to fare discounts by law, so the carrier cannot hold the government accountable for the losses it incurred by offering the discount.
UTair is Russias leading airline and its second largest domestic carrier. The UTair Group comprises UTair Aviation, UTair Express, UTair-Ukraine, UTair-Cargo, Nefteyugansk OAO, Helisur, UTair Europe s.r.o., and UTair South Africa (Pty) Ltd. UTair operates 184 aircrafts.