After the plane crash, Azerbaijani Airlines stops its flights to southern Russia

Azerbaijan Airlines decided to suspend its flights to two cities in southern Russia, after a passenger plane heading in this direction was diverted across the Caspian Sea and crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, killing dozens.

The state-owned airline said in a statement on Wednesday that the Embraer SA190 plane was carrying 62 passengers and 5 crew members on a flight from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to the city of Grozny, the capital of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, when it changed course to make an emergency landing in Kazakhstan.
The crash resulted in the deaths of 38 people and the rescue of 29 others.

Determine the cause of the accident

Azerbaijan Airlines said the plane went down about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the city of Aktau.
Authorities in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan indicated that an investigation is underway, and it is too early to determine the cause of the accident.

The flight was initially diverted to Makhachkala on Russia’s Caspian Sea coast due to fog, and then to Aktau, Russia’s TASS agency reported.

Flight suspension until investigation is completed

The Kazakh city of Aktau is located about 310 kilometers east of Makhachkala across the water.
Bloomberg News Agency quoted the airline as saying that it would suspend its flights to both Grozny and Makhachkala until the investigation was completed, without providing further clarification.

The Kingdom offers its condolences to Azerbaijan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the sincere condolences and sympathy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the families of the deceased and to the government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan following the Azerbaijani plane crash in the city of Aktau, western Kazakhstan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

A passenger plane belonging to the Azerbaijan Airlines company crashed in western Kazakhstan on Wednesday, while it was on a flight from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, with 67 people on board, according to the authorities.