Transaero Airlines Launches Flight of Hope Project

MOSCOW, December 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Transaero Airlines launched the Flight of Hope project to provide its passengers with an opportunity to participate in the mission of saving children's lives.

Olga Pleshakova, Transaero Airlines CEO, said: "I'm convinced that business should be socially responsible, in other words, that it should have a human face. And if charitable giving in Russia evolves in such a way that someday passengers will book tickets on purpose for Flights of Hope that will be the highest recognition for the entire project."

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Transaero Airlines has been carrying out social programmes aimed to help children who suffer from serious illnesses for many years. And this time the airline has come up with something new. To carry out the project, the fuselage of the airline's flagship, the Boeing 747-400 aircraft, has been adorned with dozens of palm prints of Russian celebrities, well-known writers, artists, actors, businessmen and sportsmen who supported the Flight of Hope project. Among those lending their hand in support include Fekla Tolstaya, Miroslava Karpovich, Natalia Tolstaya, Irena Ponaroshku, Yana Poplavskaya, and Oleg Roy.

Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, World and European Figure Skating Champions, supported the project. Tatyana Volosozhar said: "Each passenger travelling onboard this aircraft will be able to make a donation to help seriously ill children."

Maxim Tranakov added: "All funds raised will be aimed at financing high-tech surgeries for children all over our vast country".

The livery of the 747-400 was designed by the famous artists Vladimir Dubosarskiy and Alexander Vinogradov as a part of the Life Line Fund Charity Action. Life Line, the largest charity fund in Russia, is dedicated to helping children whose lives are endangered by serious illnesses. The airliner was designed with colorful palm prints by Transaero's US partner, MidAir MRO station as an act of charity.

Faina Zakharova, President of Life Line Fund, said: "These hands symbolize openness, sincerity and kindness".

Passengers of the Flights of Hope will be able to lend a helping hand to children suffering from life-threatening heart, brain and spine diseases by making donations to children supported by the Life Line Charity Fund. Using the satellite equipment installed on the aircraft that provides Wi-Fi Internet access, passengers can make donations through mobile banking terminals or in a SMS message. During the Flight of Hope passengers will be invited to take part in an unusual charity drawing. Transaero Airlines will choose a certain seat number of a passenger travelling on this flight and will donate the ticket's full cost paid by the passenger to the Life Line Fund.

Tatyana, passenger of the first Flight of Hope, said: "Flight of Hope gives passengers an opportunity to take part in a pleasant and very helpful act".

The first Flight of Hope, which traveled from Moscow to Miami in U.S., was made on November 16. More than 200 people made donations raising 100,000 rubles during the first flight. In addition, Transaero transferred 50,000 rubles to the Fund, which was the cost of the ticket chosen at the drawing. The special Flight of Hope aircraft will be operated on the key business and premium leisure routes providing thousands of passengers with an opportunity to lend a helping hand to seriously ill children in Russia.

About Transaero Airlines:

Transaero Airlines is the second-largest passenger airline in Russia. Transaero launched its services in November, 1991. Transaero's fleet consists of 102 aircraft, including twenty-four Boeing 747s, fourteen Boeing 777s, fifteen 767s, forty four 737s, three Tupolev Tu-214 and two Tu-204-100C aircraft. Transaero has the largest long-haul fleet in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe. It is the only commercial carrier flying Boeing 747 passenger aircraft in the region. According to JACDEC, Transaero ranks among the top 20 safest carriers in the world. Transaero serves more than 240 routes in Russia, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Transaero has been named the World's Most Improved Airline at the Skytrax 2013 Awards. Transaero was voted the Best Airline in EMEA by Frequent Business Traveler, US online publication.

For more information about the airline, please, visit: http://www.transaero.ru/en

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SOURCE Transaero Airlines