Orenair (R2, Orenburg (REN)) and S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo (OVB)) have been granted limited international traffic rights by the Russian Ministry of Transport who are seeking to break the monopoly Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO)) currently holds on some routes to Finland and Poland. S7 is set to become the second designated-Russian carrier after Aeroflot on the Moscow to Helsinki Vantaa (HEL) route with seven weekly flights. S7 has also been granted rights to operate 14 weekly flights between Moscow and Warsaw Fryderyk Chopin (WAW) as well as seven weekly flights between Moscow and Kraków John Paul II International (KRK), formerly the sole preserve of Aeroflot and LOT Polish Airlines (LO, Warsaw Fryderyk Chopin (WAW)). Similarly, another Russian carrier, Orenair (R2, Orenburg (REN)), has been granted rights to launch flights from the Black Sea resort town of Adler/Sochi (AER) to Helsinki, Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) and Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), as well as to London, Hanover (HAJ), Madrid Barajas (MAD), Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), Bratislava Milan Rastislav Stefánik (BTS) and Zurich Kloten (ZRH). Russia's MoT says the move to open up traffic rights to other Russian operators is intended to help foster competition and ultimately help drive down fares.

Orenair (R2, Orenburg (REN)) has retired its last Tu-154M RA-85768 (c/n 93A-949) from service in November with the aircraft now parked at Orenburg airport, the carrier's homebase. It now operates a fleet consisting of two B737-400s, three B737-500s, 19 B737-800s and three B777-200ERs.

Orenair (R2, Orenburg (REN)) has filed an application with the US Department of Transportation to receive a foreign air carrier permit that would allow the Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO)) subsidiary to operate scheduled charter flights to the United States. Orenair already operates one of its two B777-200ERs on long-haul charter flights from Russia to the Caribbean while its other B777-200ER operates a daily scheduled flight between Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO) and Khabarovsk Novy (KHV) in cooperation with Aeroflot. Orenair is about to take delivery of a third ex-Air Austral (UU, St. Denis de la Réunion Roland Garros (RUN)) B777-200ER (MSN 28676).

Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO)) will start taking delivery of the 50 B737NG aircraft from 2013 originally ordered by Rostekhnologii as part of the failed Rosavia (Moscow Vnukovo International (VKO)) project from 2013. Aeroflot will add 15 B737-700s, 25 B737-800s and 10 B737-900ERs to its fleet with some of the aircraft reportedly going to be operated by its subsidiaries Donavia (D9, Rostov (ROV)), Orenair (R2, Orenburg (REN)), Rossiya (FV, St. Petersburg Pulkovo (LED)), SAT Airlines (Russia) (HZ, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (UUS)) and/or Vladivostok Air (XF, Vladivostok (VVO)). Aeroflot has now scheduled its first own B737-800 service from Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO) to Ulaanbaatar Chinggis Khaan (ULN) from September 22, 2013. It currently uses A320-200s on the route with B767-300ERs operating during summer months.

Orenair (R2, Orenburg (REN)) has retired its single Tu-204-120 RA-64017 (MSN 1450743164017) that is now operated by Red Wings (WZ, Moscow Vnukovo International (VKO)) instead. Orenair was mainly operating the aircraft on charter flights. It currently operates two B737-400s, three B737-500s, 17 B737-800s and two B777-200ERs.