Source: Russian Authorities Change International Flights Rules

Russia's Ministry of Justice has amended Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) allowing airlines to launch international flights without waiting two years after operating domestic services. The amendments have not been announced officially, but were confirmed by an ATW source.

The changes will permit Aeroflot low-cost subsidiary (LCC) Pobeda Airlines, which began service Dec. 1, 2014, to launch international flights.

The airline applied for the international permissions several times during the last year, but in September, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, denied the carrier's request to operate international flights.

The rules have now reportedly been amended allowing international service for subsidiaries of airlines that are already performing domestic flights for more than two years.

Moscow Vnukovo-based Pobeda plans to carry nearly 3 million passengers in 2015. The LCC's fleet comprises 12 189-seat Boeing 737-800s. Its route network includes nearly 40 destinations - more than 15 of them connect Moscow with cities in the regions. On Oct. 25, it will begin 2X-daily Moscow-Samara service. Pobeda operates up to 70 daily flights in the 2015 IATA summer season; in the winter, it expects the number of daily flights to decrease to 60.

In May, Pobeda announced it had made the top 10 list of Russia's biggest airlines.