MOSCOW, July 25 (RAPSI) - The Moscow City court ordered the Russian air carrier Aeroflot to pay more than a billion rubles ($30 million) to its flight teams for 2011-12 graveyard shifts, a Sheremetyevo Airport union spokesman told RAPSI on Thursday.

Earlier this year, Nagatinsky District Court of Moscow allowed Aeroflot to refrain from compensating its pilots for the first 32 flight hours of the month. The court agreed with Aeroflot, which was appealing a regulators order to compensate its teams for the first 32 flight hours, as well as extra hazard and night pay.

Union representatives contested that ruling and appealed it in The Moscow City Court, which ordered the air carrier to pay the extra night and hazard pay for the 2011-2012 period. The union estimates that the compensations will add up to more than 1 billion rubles ($30 million).

Aeroflot employees say that the carrier proposed a new contract, which promised a substantial raise in salaries. However, the fine print removed the hazard and pay clauses, which the union considers unlawful.

Aeroflot is a member of the SkyTeam global alliance and is based at the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. In 2011, Aeroflot transported over 14 million passengers. The Federal Agency for State Property Management is Aeroflot's main shareholder with a 51.17% stake. Around 15% of the airline is held by companies belonging to businessman Alexander Lebedev.