MOSCOW, March 19 - RAPSI, Sergei Feklyunin. The Moscow Commercial Court set April 23 to hold the preliminary hearings into the lawsuit of Aeroflot, Russia's largest airline, against the Izvestia newspaper.

The plaintiff also demands that the defendant refute false information and pay five million rubles ($171,030) in compensation.

The lawsuit was submitted on March 6.

Aeroflot reported in late February, that Izvestia's February 29 article about its pilots, damaged the airline's reputation and it would go to court to protect its reputation.

The publication reads, in part, that due to excessive workload pilots sometimes fall asleep right during the flight.

The airline urged all media not to spread the allegedly false information issued by the Izvestia.

RAPSI has yet to obtain comments from the parties.

Aeroflot is a member of the SkyTeam air alliance, based at the Sheremetyevo International Airport. The Federal Agency for State Property Management is Aeroflot's primary shareholder, with a 51.17 percent stake in the company. It flies to 898 destinations in 169 countries.