Air traffic ceased to Russian cities following tragedy

Citing security concerns following this week’s crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in the region, Kazakh and Azerbaijani airlines on Friday both suspended flights to a number of Russian cities.

Kazakh and Azerbaijani airlines suspended flights to Russian cities

Kazakh air carrier Qazaq Air announced the temporary suspension of flights between the Kazakh capital Astana and Yekaterinburg, Russia, the Turkish Anadolu News Agency wrote.

“Qazaq Air has decided to suspend flights on the Astana-Yekaterinburg route from December 28, 2024, to January 27, 2025, prioritizing passenger and crew safety based on an ongoing risk assessment,” the company said.

Flights to Omsk and Novosibirsk, both in Siberia, will continue as they meet safety standards. The route to Yekaterinburg may resume following a reassessment, the airline added.

Several hours later, Azerbaijan Airlines announced the suspension of flights to seven Russian cities.

“Taking into account the initial data from the investigation of the Embraer 190 plane crash on Dec. 25, as well as potential flight safety risks, flights to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny and Makhachkala will be suspended from Dec. 28 until the final conclusion of the proceedings,” the company’s statement read.

Passengers with tickets to the affected destinations are entitled to a full refund or a free ticket exchange, it said.

The airline will continue operating flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Astrakhan, Kazan, and Novosibirsk, adhering to all applicable safety requirements and regulations, it said.