Russian authorities suspend airworthiness certificate for Boeing 737s

Russian authorities’ concerns over Boeing 737 elevator controls appear to be rooted in a dispute over the cause of the fatal Tatarstan Airlines Boeing 737-500 crash at Kazan.

Mathieu Marquer / FlickrThe Boeing 737 is one of the world’s most popular commercial aircraft designs.

MOSCOWRussia’s airline regulator said it was suspending flying certificates for Boeing 737s now in use in the country until it receives notification that the planes are safe to fly. But it may signal heightened caution by Russian authorities in the aftermath of that incident.

The 737 is the domestic workhorse for dozens of airlines worldwide, with 8,764 of the aircraft produced by the Seattle-based company, and 42 new ones rolling off the production line each month.

While a few 737s feature on the Russian aircraft registry, numerous jets operated by Russian carriers are registered in external locations such as Bermuda and Ireland.

In a separate statement, the IAC said it wanted all foreign planes operating in Russian Federation to be re-registered on home soil, after the plane crash in Egypt.

“Having conducted correspondence with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the commission investigating the unsafe operations of Boeing 737-type airplanes for more than a year, Rosaviatsiya did not realize its right, envisaged by Russia’s Air Code, to impose restrictions on the operations of these airplanes”, it said.

The IAC plays a role similar to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board as an investigative and advisory panel.

A spokesman for Rosaviatsya, which is obliged to comply with IAC safety recommendations, said it had not been notified of a certificate suspension, so there was no order yet to suspend flights.