Former deputy head of Russian aviation agency to replace Anodina as chairman of Interstate Aviation Committee - Transport Ministry

MOSCOW. Jan 18 (Interfax) - The former deputy head of Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Oleg Storchevoi has been appointed to replace Tatyana Anodina as chairman of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), the press service of the Russian Transport Ministry told reporters.

This decision was made at a meeting of the Council on Aviation and Airspace Use that was chaired by Deputy Transport Minister Igor Chalik on Tuesday, the ministry said.

"The council appointed Oleg Storchevoi chairman of the IAC, offering Tatyana Anodina, who previously held this position, the title of honorary president of the council with the right of an advisory vote," a ministry spokesman said.

Izvestia, citing a source, reported earlier that Anodina would step down as chairman of the IAC, a position she has held since 1991, in the next few days. However, on Tuesday the committee's press service denied this, saying that Anodina was in hospital in Moscow due to a rescheduled orthopaedic operation and that upon recovery she "is not planning to leave her post."

In the meantime, Anodina's first deputy Viktor Rukhlinsky is serving as acting chairman of the IAC, the committee said.

In addition, the IAC posted a statement on its website on Tuesday saying that the event planned at the Transport Ministry on January 17 could not be called a session of the Council on Aviation and Airspace Use, because it was not organized by the IAC. The committee proposed holding the council session on January 27.