Orthodox bishop honors fallen AZAL crew on anniversary of tragic crash PHOTO

December 25 marked the first anniversary of the crash of an AZAL aircraft operating the Baku–Grozny route.

Bishop of the Diocese of Baku and Azerbaijan Alexiy (Smirnov) conducted a memorial requiem service on the anniversary of the tragedy at the graves of the aircraft’s pilots, Igor Kshnyakin, and Aleksandr Kalyaninov. The ceremony took place at the Second Alley of Honor, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Baku and Azerbaijan Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The victims of the crash have been formally recognized for their service and sacrifice. Under the decree of President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, the aircraft’s captain Igor Kshnyakin, co-pilot Aleksandr Kalyaninov, and flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva were posthumously awarded the title of National Heroes of Azerbaijan.

On December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), 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