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Several airlines suspend flights to Russia following suspected downing of Azerbaijan Airlines plane

By

 André Orban

27 December 2024

Airlines from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Israel have suspended flights to Russia after an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 passengers and leaving 29 survivors. The crash, initially attributed to bird strikes by Russian officials, is widely suspected to have been caused by a Russian air defence missile.

Azerbaijan Airlines halted flights to ten Russian cities — Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, Makhachkala, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vladikavkaz —, citing “external interference” and safety risks. Kazakh carrier Qazaq Air suspended flights between Astana and Yekaterinburg, while Israel’s El Al paused its Moscow route for a week.

Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabekov demanded Russia take responsibility for the incident, which occurred as Moscow defended against Ukrainian drone attacks. “The plane was shot down on Russian territory, in the sky over Grozny. And it is impossible to deny this,” Musabekov said.

Contradicting Russian claims, reports suggest the civilian airliner was denied landing at multiple Russian airports despite declaring an emergency, forcing its fatal diversion to Kazakhstan.