Russia sets up new aircraft certification body

The new regulative body will take over certification functions from IAC (Photo y Leonid Faerberg / transport-photo.com)

The Aviation Register of the Russian Federation, a new government body that will deal with civil aircraft certification and also certification of engines, propellers and aircraft avionics, has successfully been established.

The new Aviation Register will carry out the same functions and responsibilities as its predecessor, the Aviation Register of the CIS-wide Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), according to the Federal Air Transport Agency, which declared the establishment of the new body.

The Russian authorities have decided to waive the IAC’s services in the field of civil aviation certification in the wake of a conflict between the Interstate Aviation Committee and the Federal Air Transport Agency. The conflict arose over the IAC’s attempts to suspend operation of one of the most popular narrow-body aircraft in Russia: the Boeing 737.

According to Vedomosti Daily, all IAC employees of the Aviation Register have been invited to transfer to the new authority. The new body is charged with issuing appropriate documents in addition to its work in certification.

The new Air Register will not issue certification of airworthiness, as was stressed by the IAC. The operation of the new body will also exclude any certification of, or statement on, the compliance of any aircraft to the requirements of airworthiness.

The Federal Air Transport Agency explained that the Russian Air Register was created as a result of a governmental decree from November 2015, which transferred the power of certification in the field of civil aviation from the IAC to Russia’s executive bodies. The decree, in particular, stated that the Federal Air Transport Agency will be in charge of the certification.

Russia stopped to acknowledge the IAC’s certification ability last December. Since then, the Federal Air Transport Agency has issued a type certificate for Mi-38 helicopter, a supplemental type certificate for a VIP-version of the Ansat light helicopter and an export COA for a Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100). In the meantime, according to Vedomosti Daily, similar export COAs have been issued by the IAC upon mutual agreement with manufacturers.