AZAL suspends flights to cities across Russia after crash
December 28, 2024
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has announced the suspension of flights to several Russian cities following the Christmas Day crash of its Embraer E190AR, flying from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in the Russian Republic of Chechnya.
The affected routes from Baku include the following destinations, effective from December 28, 2024:
- Mineralnye Vody
- Sochi
- Volgograd
- Ufa
- Samara
- Saratov
- Nizhny Novgorod
- Vladikavkaz
The decision, made in coordination with the Azerbaijan State Civil Aviation Authority, follows preliminary findings from the investigation into the crash of flight J2-8243, the carrier said.
AZAL said initial reports suggested the crash was caused by “physical and technical external interference“, prompting safety concerns about operating within Russian airspace.
The suspension will remain in place until the investigation is completed, AZAL said.
Immediately after the crash, AZAL had suspended flights to Grozny and Makhachkala. Other airlines have also been instructed to halt flights to these destinations as a precaution.
The airline said in a statement: “For safety reasons, a decision has been made to suspend flights of other airlines to the mentioned destinations, including Grozny and Makhachkala.
“Passengers of AZAL flights to and from the specified cities in Russia, who are unable to use the airline’s services due to the current situation, have the opportunity to receive a full refund without penalties or rebook their tickets.”
