Azerbaijan Airlines suspends flights to Russia after the plane crash.

Azerbaijan Airlines announced the suspension of flights to some Russian cities

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) announced the suspension of flights from Baku to some Russian cities starting December 28. This news was reported by RIA Novosti.

Following the plane crash near Aktau, the company has already suspended flights to Makhachkala and Grozny until the investigation is completed. Now this list has been expanded to include Sochi, Ufa, Samara, Volgograd, and Mineralnye Vody.

This decision was made after a preliminary investigation showed possible risks to flight safety. According to the publication Mozhem ob'yasnit, Azerbaijani pilots refused to fly to Russia after their colleagues' deaths.

On December 27, a carpet plan was announced in Russian cities due to a drone attack. Flight J28717 Baku - Mineralnye Vody returned to the departure airport over the Caspian Sea. The commander refused to fly to Russia and turned the aircraft around. Even after the restrictions were lifted, both pilots refused to depart for Russia.

Also, El Al, the largest Israeli airline, has suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow due to events in Russian airspace. This news was reported by Channel 9 Israel. Flights are canceled for a week, after which a decision will be made about their resumption.

It is worth noting that a passenger Embraer plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed at Aktau airport. There were 67 passengers and five crew members on board. Among them were 37 citizens of Azerbaijan, 16 Russians, six citizens of Kazakhstan, and three citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

‼️A video is spreading on the internet showing strange marks on the tail of the plane that crashed in Kazakhstan. The openings resemble those left after shellingBut as it is known, Rosaviatsiya blamed the birds for the crash...

GLAVCOM (@GLAVCOM_UA) December 25, 2024

Later, Rosaviatsiya stated that the cause of the plane crash was a collision with birds. Additionally, an oxygen cylinder exploded on board the aircraft, causing passengers to lose consciousness.

At the crash site of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, a black box was found. It has now been seized and included in the criminal case.

Also, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, stated that the reason for the plane crash was a Russian missile system.