aviation

Azerbaijan Airlines Temporarily Suspends Flights To Two Cities In Russia Following Aircraft Crash

Azerbaijan Airlines has temporarily suspended flights to two cities in southern Russia following a plane crash in Aktau, Kazakhstan. On Wednesday, December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines reportedly went down near the city of Aktau while carrying 62 passengers and 5 crew members.  

The flight was en route to southern Russia when it veered towards the Caspian Sea and subsequently crashed, resulting in multiple fatalities among the passengers. According to Bloomberg, the ill-fated aircraft was traveling from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in the Chechen region of Russia. The airline's official statement indicated that the flight had altered its course to execute an emergency landing in Kazakhstan. 

Authorities have reported that 32 passengers survived the incident. The crash occurred approximately 3 kilometers from Aktau, as stated by Azerbaijan Airlines. Both Azerbaijani and Kazakh authorities have announced that an investigation is underway, and it is too early to determine the cause of the accident. Initially, the flight was diverted to Makhachkala on the Caspian Sea coast of Russia due to fog, before being redirected to Aktau, according to news service Tass. The city of Aktau is located about 310 kilometers east of Makhachkala, across the sea.  

The airline has announced the suspension of flights to Grozny and Makhachkala until the investigation is concluded, without providing further details. Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev, who is overseeing the investigation, has estimated that 38 individuals may have perished, as reported by Interfax. Earlier, Kazakh authorities had indicated that there were 69 people on board, later revising the figure to 67 passengers. Following the incident, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has cut short his trip to Russia to attend an informal summit of Commonwealth of Independent States leaders. 

Tag: Azerbaijan Airlines Kazakhstan