Azerbaijan Airlines flight: Between life and death The causes of the Embraer 190 crash are under investigation

The festive anticipation of December 25, 2024, was tragically overshadowed by a devastating incident—a crash involving an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by AZAL on a flight from Baku to Grozny. The plane went down near the Kazakh city of Aktau while attempting to land. On board were 62 passengers and five crew members, including 37 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian citizens, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan. A total of 32 people survived the crash.

It is no secret that pilots of Azerbaijan’s national airline are considered among the most skilled, not only across the post-Soviet space but globally. Furthermore, Azerbaijan's civil aviation fleet is composed of modern and fully operational aircraft. Unfortunately, aviation accidents, while far less frequent than road traffic incidents, still occur. No airline, not even the most renowned in the world, is immune to such tragedies.

To avoid making unfounded claims, here is a brief list of aviation disasters that have occurred in 2024.

According to official data, more than 360 aviation incidents were recorded worldwide in the outgoing year, a third of which resulted in aircraft crashes.

On January 2, during landing at Tokyo Airport, a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 collided with a DHC-8-315 Dash 8 operated by the Japanese Coast Guard. All 379 passengers aboard the Airbus survived; however, five of the six crew members aboard the Dash 8 perished.

On June 11, a plane crash in Malawi claimed the life of the country's vice president, along with nine accompanying individuals. There were no survivors. The wreckage was discovered in a forested area in the northern part of the country.

On July 24, a passenger plane operated by Saurya Airlines crashed in Nepal after overrunning the runway and catching fire. The blaze resulted in the deaths of 18 people.

On August 9, an ATR 72 crashed in São Paulo State, Brazil, killing all 62 people on board. There were no survivors.

This tragic list has now been extended by the loss of the Azerbaijani aircraft.

We have already emphasized the professionalism of Azerbaijani civil aviation pilots and the modernity of the country’s aircraft fleet. Unfortunately, not everything in the skies depends solely on the skill of the pilots or the technical condition of the aircraft.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, various theories about the cause of the crash began to emerge. AZAL’s preliminary and official statement suggested that the aircraft collided with a flock of birds. Meanwhile, social media circulated speculation ranging from claims that Russian air defence systems were involved to allegations of a Ukrainian drone strike, with video evidence purportedly showing characteristic punctures in the fuselage of the Embraer. However, we must await the official results of the investigation led by a commission established by order of President Aliyev. As the head of state stated during a meeting, “The commission's task is to fully investigate the matter, examine the causes of the crash and all its details, and provide information both to me and to the Azerbaijani public.”

In conclusion, it is important to acknowledge once again the remarkable professionalism and heroism of the flight crew, including Captain Igor Kshnyakin, First Officer Alexander Kalyaninov, and crew members Hokuma Aliyeva, Zulfugar Asadov, and Aydan Rahimli. Through extraordinary efforts, they managed to bring the aircraft down and save the lives of 32 passengers.

For now, as per President Aliyev’s decree, December 26 has been declared a national day of mourning in Azerbaijan.