Its addition to oneworld will link one of the most extensive networks covering Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, with oneworld's unrivalled global network, as the only alliance including airlines based on every continent.

S7 serves 72 destinations worldwide - 38 of them in Russia. It will add 54 cities to the oneworld map - 35 of them in Russia. It will bring eight countries onto the alliance's network - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

This will expand oneworld's network to nearly 750 destinations in almost 150 countries, served by a combined fleet of 2,300 aircraft operating almost 8,500 flights a day, carrying more than 330 million passengers a year.

S7 is Russia's leading airline in terms of domestic passenger carryings, customer service quality and innovation. It is majority privately owned.

It is the first carrier in Russia to convert to an all Western-built Airbus and Boeing fleet and the first to adopt full electronic ticketing and on-line reservations and sales. It holds the internationally recognised IOSA (International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit) certification, renewed in October 2008.

It offers two-class in-flight product to international standards on all departures - Business Class and Economy.

Its fleet, decorated in a distinctive bright green livery, includes 26 Airbus A320 family types, seven Airbus A310 and two Boeing 767s, with an average age of nine years.

S7 carried 6 million passengers in 2008, with a bigger share of the domestic Russian air travel market than any other airline. Including its international network, it is Russia's second biggest carrier.

S7's main hub Moscow Domodedovo - the capital's most modern airport - is served also by oneworld members American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Royal Jordanian. Its secondary hubs are Novosibirsk and Irkutsk. Its international destinations include oneworld hubs Madrid and Bangkok.

Besides Moscow Domodedovo, oneworld's existing members currently serve three other destinations in Russia - Moscow Sheremetyevo, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

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oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch added: "S7 fills one of oneworld's few remaining membership ‘white spaces' with a carrier that matches our alliance's demanding quality requirements. It will expand oneworld's presence substantially in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, while enabling S7 to offer its customers a truly global network on quality partners. We are delighted to welcome them to the oneworld alliance."