Aeroflot, the Russian state-controlled airline, is to launch a direct flight from Moscow to Dublin even as Ireland’s relations with the Kremlin chill following the expulsion of one of their diplomats. A direct flight to Dublin could lead to an acceleration in trade and tourism between the two countries. By the early 1980s, more than a thousand Aeroflot flights a year were clocked through Shannon as the Russian carrier routed other transit flights via Ireland. Aer Rianta forged the way by opening duty-free shops, bars and hotels in Moscow through a joint venture with the Russian airline Aeroflot. S7, the privately-owned Russian airline, started flights to Dublin in 2008 but scaled back after the economic crisis.

Source: The Irish Times March 30, 2018 05:15 UTC