KAZAKH AIRLINE SUSPENDS FLIGHTS TO YEKATERINBURG, RUSSIA OVER SECURITY CONCERNS

MOSCOW, Dec 27 (Bernama-AA) -- Kazakh air carrier Qazaq Air on Friday announced the temporary suspension of its flights between Astana and Yekaterinburg, Russia, citing security concerns following the recent crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

"Qazaq Air has decided to suspend flights on the Astana-Yekaterinburg route from December 28, 2024, to January 27, 2025, prioritising 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.

The Azerbaijan Airlines flight was travelling from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechen Republic on Wednesday when it crashed 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) from Aktau, located on the Caspian Sea coast, with 67 people onboard.

Kazakh officials said 38 people were killed in the crash while 29 survived.

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan both launched investigations into the accident.

The plane had departed Baku for Grozny but veered off course over the Caspian Sea before the crash.

Kazakh authorities and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev called for restraint in speculation, noting that bad weather may have played a role in the flight's diversion.

The crash occurred amid heightened activity of Russian air defences targeting Ukrainian drones in the region. Public flight data shows GPS jamming in the area, further fueling questions. 

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated that conclusions must await the official investigation.

-- BERNAMA-AA