Kazakhstan: Probe into AZAL plane crash near Aktau still ongoing

The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan said it is continuing its investigation into the crash of an aircraft operated by Azerbaijan’s leading carrier, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), near Aktau in 2024, despite a joint statement by the foreign ministries of Russia and Azerbaijan on resolving the consequences of the incident.

In comments to TASS, the ministry said it would continue to follow established procedures and would publish a final report outlining conclusions and recommendations once the investigation is complete.

“Currently, the commission investigating the aviation incident involving the Embraer 190 aircraft, registration 4K-AZ65, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, continues its work in accordance with the standards and recommended practices established by Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Upon completion of the investigation, the final report will be published on the official website of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The report will reflect the established causes of the aviation incident, as well as the commission’s conclusions and recommendations,” the ministry said, responding to a question about whether the investigation would continue or be halted after the statement by the foreign ministries.

The passenger Embraer 190 aircraft, operating a flight from Baku to Grozny, crashed on December 25, 2024, near Aktau. There were 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and 5 crew members, citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. A total of 38 people were killed.

On April 15, the Russian and Azerbaijani foreign ministries issued a joint statement noting that the parties had reached an appropriate settlement regarding the consequences — including the issue of compensation — of the plane crash caused by an unintentional action of the air defence system in the airspace of the Russian Federation. 

By Tamilla Hasanova