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IAC: Russian aviation agency has not informed airlines about Boeing-737 deficiencies

"We are worried that more than 20 million passengers of Boeing 737 planes have for a long time been subjected to considerable risks," the Interstate Aviation Committee statement says

MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. Russia’s Rosaviatsiya aviation agency has not informed airlines and Russia’s regulatory authorities when announcing serious deficiencies of Boeing 737 aircraft, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) said in a statement on Friday.

"We are seriously concerned that for a long time, while saying Boeing-737 aircraft have serious deficiencies that directly affect flight safety, Rosaviatsiya has not informed airlines and Russia’s regulatory authorities about that. We are worried that more than 20 million passengers of Boeing 737 planes have for a long time been subjected to considerable risks," the statement said.

IAC said that its Aviation Register and international Commission on Investigation of Air Incidents proceed only from the interests of flight safety and adherence to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards and international agreements in the sphere of aircraft’s airworthiness.

IAC’s authority as an international organization are strictly separated from the functions of Russia’s aviation and regulatory authorities. "IAC does not deal with issues of allowing/banning flights of aircraft of Russian airlines," the statement added.

On Thursday, IAC suspended the certificate for all Boeing-737 aircraft in Russia until receiving a joint notice of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration on the aircraft airworthiness. "IAC Air Register as the authorized agency in airworthiness standardization and type certification has to suspend all type certificates for Boeing-737 family aircraft issued by it in the course of validation until receipt of a joint notice of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration that Boeing-737 type aircraft operating in Russia are in condition supporting their safe operation," IAC said in its letter posted on the Committee’s website.