Russian aviation officials to meet tomorrow to determine fate of Boeing 737s, suddenly at risk of being banned

The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), which oversees civil aviation in the Commonwealth of Independent States, has withdrawn its certificate for the Boeing 737. Rosaviation, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, says it was notified of this decision earlier today. Officials haven't yet explained if the revocation of this certificate means the aircraft is banned immediately.

According to an announcement on the IAC's website, the Committee appealed to the US Federal Aviation Administration with an inquiry about the safety of the Boeing 737. The response they received, according to the IAC, "did not contain the conclusion that Boeing 737 aircraft [...] are in a state that provides safe operation."

The announcement on the IAC's website is dated November 4, though the first reports by news agencies appeared only on November 5.

• In connection with the IAC's revocation of the Boeing 737's certificate, Rosaviation will hold a special meeting on November 6 with members of the IAC and representatives of the airlines that operate this type of aircraft. Rosaviation has not explained if the IAC's decision means all Boeing 737 flights will be banned in Russia.
• The Boeing 737 is the commonly used passenger aircraft in the history of civil aviation. More than 8,700 planes of this type have been manufactured and put in the air.
• In Russia, the Boeing 737 is found in the fleets of many airlines. UTair Aviation has more than 50. Aeroflot operates 12 Boeing 737s. The entire fleet of the Russian airline Pobeda is made up of Boeing 737-800s.
• The IAC operates in in 11 different countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.