MOSCOW, October 22 - RAPSI. The Moscow District Federal Commercial Court will hear on December 6 the Aeroflot airline's appeal against the dismissal of its defamation lawsuit against the Izvestia newspaper, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Monday.

The lawsuit centers on an article published by Izvestia in February, which alleges that Aeroflot pilots fall asleep on the job because they are forced to work long hours. The plaintiff demanded that the paper retract the allegation and pay 5 million rubles ($161,750) in moral damages.

The Moscow Commercial Court held against Aeroflot's claims in June.

Judge Nikolai Tarasov stated in the ruling that the plaintiff produced no substantial evidence that the statements in the article's headline and text were inaccurate.

The appeals court then upheld the decision in September.

Izvestia does not recognize the claims. The paper's lawyer said in court that the article did not state that the company broke the law. Although the article mentioned the word "Aeroflot," 83 other companies use the same word in their name, he said. Therefore, Izvestia claimed, the plaintiff needed to prove that the article was referring specifically to the airline. Izvestia also said Aeroflot asked to have the article refuted in court, without specifying which statements it considers defamatory, although the material that it provided included historical facts, data regarding other companies, and an official comment from Aeroflot.

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