Citing security concerns following this week’s crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in the region, Kazakh and Azerbaijani airlines on Friday both suspended flights to a number of Russian cities. Kazakh air carrier Qazaq Air announced the temporary suspension of flights between the Kazakh capital Astana and Yekaterinburg, Russia. “Qazaq Air has decided to suspend flights on the Astana-Yekaterinburg route from December 28, 2024, to January 27, 2025, prioritizing passenger and crew safety based on an ongoing risk assessment,” the company said. Flights to Omsk and Novosibirsk, both in Siberia, will continue as they meet safety standards. The route to Yekaterinburg may resume following a reassessment, the airline added. Several hours later, Azerbaijan Airlines announced the suspension of flights to seven Russian cities. “Taking into account the initial data from the investigation of the Embraer 190 plane crash on Dec. 25, as well as potential flight safety risks, flights to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny and Makhachkala will be suspended from Dec. 28 until the final conclusion of the proceedings,” the company’s statement read. Passengers with tickets to the affected destinations are entitled to a full refund or a free ticket exchange, it said. The airline will continue operating flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Astrakhan, Kazan, and Novosibirsk, adhering to all applicable safety requirements and regulations, it said. On Wednesday an Azerbaijan Airlines flight was traveling from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechen Republic when it crashed near Aktau, a city on the Caspian coast, with 67 people onboard. Kazakh officials said 38 people were killed in the crash while 29 survived. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan both launched investigations into the accident. On Thursday, senior Azerbaijani officials confirmed to Anadolu that the crash was caused by a Russian missile system. But Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, maintained that the crash was likely caused by a bird strike which forced the aircraft to divert to Aktau. The plane had departed Baku for Grozny but veered off course over the Caspian Sea before the crash. Kazakh authorities and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev called for restraint in speculation, noting that bad weather may have played a role in the flight’s diversion. The crash occurred amid heightened activity of Russian air defenses targeting Ukrainian drones in the region. Public flight data shows GPS jamming in the area, further fueling questions. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated that conclusions must await the official investigation.
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