Poland offers expertise to support Azerbaijan in AZAL plane crash investigation

Poland has expressed its readiness to assist Azerbaijani specialists in investigating the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, which occurred on December 25, 2024. 

The Polish Foreign Ministry emphasized the country's extensive experience in aviation accident investigations in a statement to local media, per Caliber.Az.

"Polish research institutes and government agencies are recognized among the most experienced in the world in the field of aviation security," the ministry stated. "Our military and civilian analysts have repeatedly demonstrated their effectiveness in investigating the causes of aviation accidents. We have considerable experience in deciphering black box data and analyzing flight parameters."

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also conveyed this offer directly to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, during a phone conversation. Sikorski reaffirmed Poland’s readiness to provide "all possible technical support" in uncovering the causes behind the crash.

The tragic incident occurred when an AZAL flight travelling from Baku to Grozny went down near Aktau. Of the 67 people aboard, 38 lost their lives, while 29 survived.

As part of the ongoing investigation, the Brazilian Air Force's Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) announced on January 7 that they had completed decoding the plane’s flight recorders. "The extraction, collection, and verification of data from two flight recorders have been completed," CENIPA confirmed, adding that the data had been sent to Kazakh authorities for further analysis.

By Tamilla Hasanova