Major Airlines Halt Flights to Russia Following Azerbaijan Crash

Airlines Cancel Russia Routes After Azerbaijan Airlines Tragedy

Following the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight on December 25, 2024, which resulted in 38 fatalities, several airlines have suspended flights to Russia due to safety concerns.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the aircraft may have been mistakenly downed by Russian air defenses near Grozny, Chechnya.

In response to the incident, Azerbaijan Airlines announced the suspension of flights to ten Russian cities, including Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, Makhachkala, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vladikavkaz, effective December 28.

Other airlines have taken similar precautions. El Al, Israel’s national carrier, suspended its Tel Aviv-Moscow route for the week following the crash.

Turkmenistan Airlines canceled regular flights between Ashgabat and Moscow from December 30, 2024, through January 31, 2025.

Additionally, flydubai suspended flights between Dubai and the southern Russian cities of Mineralnye Vody and Sochi.

These suspensions reflect growing apprehensions about the safety of airspace in certain regions of Russia, particularly in the context of heightened military activities and the potential for misidentification of civilian aircraft.

The situation remains under close observation, with airlines prioritizing passenger safety and awaiting further information from ongoing investigations.

For a detailed report on the flight suspensions, you can watch the following news segment: