Several airlines have announced the suspension of flights to Russian cities following allegations by Western experts and the U.S. that the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight earlier this week may have been caused by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.
Moscow has not commented on reports suggesting the plane was accidentally shot down by its air defense systems. However, Russia has stated that Grozny, the flight’s intended destination, was under attack by Ukrainian drones at the time of the incident.
The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, December 25, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
On Saturday, December 28, Turkmenistan Airlines became the latest carrier to suspend flights, announcing the cancellation of its Ashgabat-Moscow-Ashgabat route from December 30, 2024, to January 31, 2025, without providing an explanation.
Flydubai, a UAE airline, has canceled flights between Dubai and the Russian cities of Mineralnye Vody and Sochi scheduled between December 27 and January 3. Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air has also suspended flights to Yekaterinburg until the end of January. Earlier this week, Israeli airline El Al suspended flights to Moscow for one week.
Azerbaijan’s transport minister cited preliminary investigation findings, stating the crash involved physical “external interference,” suggesting the plane may have been hit mid-air.
White House spokesman John Kirby said Friday, December 27, that Washington has “indications” Russia may have been responsible for the incident, though he did not provide specific details.
The crash, which occurred near the western Kazakh city of Aktau on the shores of the Caspian Sea, has raised concerns about air safety in the region, prompting airlines to reevaluate their routes and operations in Russian airspace.
