In the lawsuit filed Feb. 2, LA Riviera Travel & Tours is seeking damages in the amount of $3.4 million dollars, alleging that Aeroflot representatives Andrei Novokshonov and Aleksei Aleksandrov sought to systematically extort bribes from the travel company, Vedomosti reported Thursday.
The tourist agency also claimed that the representatives made good on a threat of retaliation for non-payment of the bribes. Passengers who had purchased tickets with Riveria were barred from boarding flights, and managers at Aeroflot demanded the passengers purchase new tickets.
Aeroflot responded with allegations of its own, stating that the agency's complaints were a reaction to accusations first brought by Aeroflot and that the airline's accusations were more serious and provable. According to Aeroflot, Riviera Travel & Tours was engaged in a scheme to charge inflated prices but to report sales at a lower price.
Igor Sokolov, a senior lawyer with CMS, a law firm specializing in resolving international disputes, told Vedomosti that he sees the potential damage for Aeroflot's reputation as much more consequential than financial penalties if the airline is found to be in violation of the law.
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