Minute of silence observed in memory of victims of AZAL plane crash PHOTO

A minute of silence was observed on December 25 in remembrance of the victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane crash that occurred in Kazakhstan a year earlier.

The commemorative observance took place at 12:00 p.m. Baku time at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, where participants paused to honor those who lost their lives in the trаgic incident, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The ceremony marked the anniversary of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190-100 IGW aircraft, registration number 4K-AZ65, which went down near the city of Aktau on December 25, 2024.

An Embraer 190 aircraft, operating flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, crashed 3 km from Aktau, Kazakhstan. Preliminary investigations indicate that the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system while approaching Grozny.

There were 67 people on board—62 passengers and five crew members—including 42 Azerbaijani citizens (37 passengers, five crew), 16 Russians, six Kazakh citizens, and three Kyrgyz citizens. The crash claimed 38 lives, while 29 survived. Among the deceased were the aircraft commander Igor Kshnyakin, co-pilot Aleksandr Kalyaninov, and flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva.

By Vafa Guliyeva