Russia declines to act on recommendation over Boeing 737 certificates

By Gleb Stolyarov MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's aviation regulator on Friday declined to act on a recommendation to ground about 200 Boeing 737 jetliners operating in the country, staving off a potential disruption to passenger travel. The decision was made at a meeting in Moscow to review a recommendation of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), a safety agency, which was announced unexpectedly on Thursday. "There are no reasons to suspend operation of Boeing 737," the head of Russian aviation regulator Rosaviatsiya, Alexander Neradko, told reporters after the meeting. "Operation of Boeing 737 in Russia will continue on the same grounds as previously." Neradko did not disclose the reason for the decision. On Thursday, the IAC said the recommendation on the certificate suspension would remain in effect until it receives notification from Rosaviatsya and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration about the safety of Boeing 737 control surfaces on the tail of the aircraft that help steer it. The IAC retracted its recommendation on Friday, said Nataliya Fileva, co-owner of Russia's S7 Airlines, who took part in the meeting. Its representatives did not attend the meeting, according to Neradko. The IAC did not respond to Reuters calls on Friday. "Boeing is pleased that Russian aviation authorities have confirmed that the Russian 737 fleet fully complies with all U.S. and Russian type certification requirements, and the fleet will continue operations as usual," the company said in a statement. There are about 200 Boeing 737s in Russia, according to Reuters calculations based on data from Rosaviatsya, or about a fifth of a total passenger fleet. (Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov, additional reporting by Alwyn Scott, writing by Polina Devitt, editing by Jack Stubbs and Angus MacSwan)