Over 20M Boeing-737 Passengers ‘Subjected To Considerable Risks For Long’: Russian Regulatory Authorities

In a statement Friday, the Interstate Aviation Committee acknowledged that more than 20 million passengers have been at risk due to serious deficiencies of Boeing 737. The IAC, however, says the Russian regulatory authorities were not informed about it.

According to the IAC, Rosaviatsiya did not inform the authorities about the deficiencies.

"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,” Russian News Agency Tass quoted the statement. “We are worried that more than 20 million passengers of Boeing 737 planes have for a long time been subjected to considerable risks.”

The IAC has revoked the license for all Boeing-737 jets operating in the country due to security reasons. Its statement said that the Aviation Register and international Commission on Investigation of Air Incidents adheres to the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The license is going to be suspended until the Federal Aviation Administration and Rosaviatsiya, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, confirm Boeing-737 jets to be secure. Rosaviatsiya sent requests to the FAA on two occasions for immediate fixes of the pitch control system in the aircraft after the 2013 crash in Kazan. However, the FAA did not satisfy the demand, According to RT.

Rosaviatsiya will hold a meeting Friday with airline representatives about the further possibilities of operating Boeing-737 jets. The agency has said the IAC does not have any authority to suspend Boeing-737 jets. Only federal executive bodies in the country are authorized to do so. Boeing representative Elena Aleksandrova called the decision absurd and said the company was surprised by the move.