AZAL plane crash victims commemorated in Aktau
A commemorative event was held in Aktau, Kazakhstan, to mark the first anniversary of the crash involving an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft.
Organized by Azerbaijan’s Consulate General in Aktau at the site of the tragedy, the ceremony brought together consulate staff, diaspora representatives, and local residents, News.Az reports, citing local media.
Attendees also included Consuls General and diplomats from Türkiye, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as the chairmen of the People’s Assembly and the Council of Elders.
The participants honored the memory of the victims of the tragedy with a minute of silence and laid flowers at the site of the incident.
In his remarks, Aykhan Suleymanli, Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Aktau, underlined that perhaps if it had not been for the heroism of the Azerbaijani pilots, the number of those killed and injured could have been even higher.
The Consul General also expressed his gratitude to the people and state of Kazakhstan, noting that during these difficult days they did not leave Azerbaijan alone, once more demonstrating themselves as true friends.
Aykhan Suleymanli expressed his hope that the Russian Federation would give a legal assessment of this incident.
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.
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