Russia's Low-Cost Carrier May Start International Flights in 2015 – Source

A source in Aeroflot said that Russia’s low-cost air carrier Pobeda, a subsidiary of the national airline Aeroflot, could start operating international flights in late 2015.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia’s low-cost air carrier Pobeda, a subsidiary of the national airline Aeroflot, could start operating international flights in late 2015, a source in Aeroflot said on Wednesday.

“In the event of the lifting of restrictions outlined in the federal aviation rules, Pobeda could start international flights under the 2015 winter schedule. Countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic region, Germany and Italy are considered as possible destinations,” the source told RIA Novosti.

Currently, Russia’s federal aviation rules require air carriers to operate domestic flights for at least two years before gaining a permit for international flights.

Pobeda was founded in September 2014 to replace Aeroflot's previous low-cost subsidiary Dobrolyot, which was forced to close due to Western economic sanctions, imposed on Russia by the European Union over the Ukrainian crisis. Currently, the airline operates domestic flights across Russia and is expected to have 40 planes in its fleet by 2018.