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.

S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo (OVB)) is planning to add four Airbus A321-200s, (c/n 2064, 2076, 2726, 3070) all of which were previously with Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Mohamed V International (CMN)). The four jets, currently in storage at Casablanca Mohamed V International (CMN), will become S7's first A321s. The Russian carrier operates a near all-Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) fleet consisting of twenty A319-100s, sixteen A320-200s and two B767-300s.

S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo (OVB)) could have a new minority stake shareholder following an announcement recently that the Russian Government is to hive off a 25.5% shareholding in Russia's third largest carrier. Talks are said to have already begun with a number of interested parties, including unnamed fellow Oneworld members, "a number of Middle Eastern airlines" as well as undisclosed LCCs aiming to enter the lucrative Russian market. In theory, a Russian financial institution joint-ventured with a Western partner, could increase S7 Airlines’ capitalization, and therefore profitability, provided the airline's majority shareholders - husband-and-wife team Vladislav and Natalya Filev - are also involved.

S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo (OVB)) CEO Vladimir Obyedkov has told AEX.ru that the carrier plans to enter into one or multiple partnership agreements with Russian regional carriers that would then operate regional services in cooperation with S7. It is currently evaluating proposals from three regional airlines and plans to also assist the smaller airlines with management resources.

S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo (OVB)) has withdrawn its last remaining A310-300 VP-BTJ (c/n 520) originally delivered to Hapag-Lloyd (HF, Hanover (HAJ)) in 1989 from use last month at the end of the summer season. The aircraft has now been stored at the airlines‘ homebase at Novosibirsk Tolmachevo (OVB). S7 continues to operate three B767-300ERs on long-haul routes.