Azerbaijan Airlines called the cause of the plane crash “external influence”

He explained the cessation of flights due to “potential security risks.” As of December 28, all AZAL flights to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladikavkaz, Grozny and Makhachkala are cancelled. The decision was made in agreement with the Civil Aviation Administration of Azerbaijan, according to the statement.

“The cessation of flights will remain in force until the final results of the investigation into the accident of the Embraer 190, which operated the Baku-Grozny flight J2-8243, are received,” it is stated there.

The airline added that for security reasons, flights by other airlines to Russian cities could be canceled. Passengers who, due to new restrictions, cannot fly to or from Russia on AZAL aircraft will have the opportunity to change their tickets or obtain a refund.

In addition to AZAL, Qazaq Air (Astana – Yekaterinburg flight) and Flydubai, which canceled flights from Sochi and Mineralnye Vody to Dubai from December 28 to January 5, announced the cessation of flights to some Russian cities. According to the Association of Russian Tour Operators, Flydubai is considering allocating additional seats to tour operators on less crowded flights to Dubai from Makhachkala and Volgograd.

“The suspension of flights was carried out to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members based on the results of an ongoing risk assessment of flights to Russia,” Qazaq Air explained its decision.

Earlier, the Federal Air Transport Agency commented for the first time on the plane crash. As the head of the department, Dmitry Yadrov, stated, there was a “difficult situation” in the Grozny airport area due to a “terrorist attack by Ukrainian drones.” The plane commander himself made the decision to redirect the plane to Aktau, he stressed.

On December 25, a Kazakhstan Airlines plane flying from Baku crashed. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan, a total of 67 people were on board, including 5 crew members. 38 people died. The Kremlin declined to comment on the reasons for the plane crash.