MOSCOW, October 3 - RAPSI. Aeroflot has filed a motion with the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California to hold its litigation with Riviera Travel and Tours by bench trial. The motion has been made available to the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

The airline claims that it has a special status. It has been incorporated under Russian law, its core business is conducted in Russia, and it is controlled by the Russian government.

Aeroflot sued Riviera Travel and Tours in a U.S. court in 2011, accusing its employees of fraud. The defendant soon filed a counterclaim.

Riviera maintained that Aeroflot employees began extorting money from the company after the two firms signed a contract granting the travel agency an exclusive right to sell tickets to the United States. Riviera demanded $3.5 million in compensation. The court dismissed the lawsuit.

The decision stated that the U.S. company must set forth all the aforementioned claims against Aeroflot in its statement of defense, instead of initiating separate proceedings.

At the same time, the airline filed a lawsuit against Riviera Travel and Tours and its head Karen Tumanyan last October. Aeroflot insists that the company, which was its registered agent, committed fraud. As a result, Aeroflot suffered losses of no less than $315,000, it said.

In turn, the travel agency refused to recognize Aeroflot's claims, submitting a corresponding statement to the court and filing a counterclaim against the airline and its employees Andrei Novokshonov and Alexei Alexandrov. Earlier, the airline said the counterclaim is an attempt by Riviera to hide its own fraudulent activities.