AZAL Suspends Russia Routes After Crash Investigation

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has suspended eight additional routes to Russia following the suspected missile strike on its Embraer E190 (4K-AZ65). The crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, occurred after the aircraft sustained “external impact” over Russia, reportedly linked to anti-aircraft missile activity.

In response, Azerbaijan’s State Civil Aviation Authority ordered AZAL to halt flights to several Russian airports. Initially, the airline suspended routes from Baku to Grozny and Makhachkala but expanded the ban to include destinations such as Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vladikavkaz. AZAL continues operating to Moscow Domodedovo, Moscow Vnukovo, and St. Petersburg.

Russian carriers including Azimuth, IrAero, UTair, and Ural Airlines have also been affected, with flights from impacted cities to Azerbaijan canceled.

International airlines are following suit, with El Al halting its Tel Aviv-Moscow route indefinitely and Qazaq Air suspending Astana-Yekaterinburg flights pending risk reassessment. Turkmenistan Airlines also temporarily paused its Ashgabat-Moscow route. Meanwhile, flydubai has suspended services to Sochi and Mineralnye Vody due to “technical reasons.”

The E190 tragedy claimed 38 lives, with 29 survivors. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an apology to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev but avoided elaborating on the incident’s cause.

This evolving situation underscores growing risks in Russian airspace, prompting airlines worldwide to reevaluate their operations in the region.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com