Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of the Republic of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East. The airline is 25.4% owned by the Irish government; it was floated on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges on 2 October 2006, following prior government approval (the government previously owned 85% of the airline). Aer Lingus is a former member of the Oneworld airline alliance, which it left on 31 March, 2007. The company employs 4,000 people and has revenue of €1.1 billion as of 2006. Its motto is Enjoy your flight. Aer Lingus transferred 8.6 million passengers in 2006. Aer Lingus has its own frequent flyer programme, the Gold Circle Club programme, featuring three tiers - Gold, Prestige and Elite.