Azerbaijan Airlines has announced plans to suspend flights to several cities in Russia following the deadly crash of its Embraer E190 jet that was bound for the Russian city of Grozny.
The carrier has suspended flights from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to ten Russian cities: Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladikavkaz, Grozny and Makhachkala. The suspension goes into effect on Saturday and will end once the investigation into the incident has completed.
According to a news release from Azerbaijan Airlines, Friday’s decision to suspend flights was based on preliminary results of the investigation into the crash of flight J2-8243 due to “physical and technical external interference.”
“This decision, made in accordance with the Azerbaijan State Civil Aviation Authority, is based on the preliminary results of the investigation into the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft operating the Baku-Grozny flight J2-8243 of Azerbaijan Airlines due to physical and technical external interference and considers potential risks to flight safety,” the release said. “The suspension will remain in effect until the completion of the final investigation.”
The Azerbaijan State Civil Aviation Authority has also suspended flights by other airlines from Baku to the ten Russian cities for “safety reasons.” Passengers of Azerbaijan Airlines flights to and from those cities in Russia will be able to receive a full refund without penalties or rebook their tickets.
Azerbaijan Airlines stated it will pay compensation to the injured and families of those killed in the plane crash. All passengers will also receive insurance compensation as specified in the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan and international best practices.
The decision to suspend flights to Russia comes after reports that Russia may have shot down the passenger jet using air defense systems. A CNN report quoted Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, who said that while flight J2-8243 was trying to land in Grozny, the area’s skies were closed due to a Ukrainian drone attack.
After two failed attempts to land in Grozny – which Yadrov said was shrouded in fog – the jet diverted and flew over the Caspian Sea where it crashed on the other side in Aktau, Kazakhstan. At least 38 of the 67 people aboard were reportedly killed.
The Associated Press reported that White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. has “seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems” during a press conference on Friday. He refused to elaborate on the matter, citing an ongoing investigation.
