Angara Airlines, based in Irkutsk, has had its aircraft maintenance certificate revoked by Rosaviatsia, the Russian aviation authority, effective July 30. The decision prohibits the airline from independently performing maintenance on its fleet.

The certificate previously authorized Angara Airlines to conduct routine and periodic maintenance on a range of aircraft, including An-12, An-24, An-26, An-148 aircraft, and Mi-8 helicopters.

The revocation follows an inspection conducted by Rostransnadzor, the transport oversight agency, in conjunction with Rosaviatsia specialists. The inspection uncovered violations in Angara’s maintenance practices, including instances of documentation being completed without actual work being performed and a failure to use the required tools and equipment.

As a result of the certificate cancellation, Angara Airlines will now be required to contract with certified third-party organizations to service its aircraft.

This development comes shortly after a recent accident involving an Angara Airlines An-24 passenger plane. The An-24, traveling from Khabarovsk to Tynda via Blagoveshchensk, crashed near Tynda in the Amur Region. Initial reports indicate the crash occurred during landing. The aircraft reportedly failed its initial landing attempt and was making a second approach when communication was lost. A rescue helicopter later located the wreckage on a mountainside approximately 15 kilometers from Tynda. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 48 people on board, including 42 passengers (seven of whom were children). The deceased included residents of various Russian regions, as well as citizens of China and Belarus.