AZAL: 'External impact' named as preliminary cause of Embraer crash

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has cited "physical and technical external impact" as the preliminary cause of the tragic crash involving an Embraer aircraft flying from Baku to Grozny, Report informs, citing the company.

In a statement, the company revealed that the decision to cancel flights to Russian cities, made in coordination with the State Civil Aviation Agency of Azerbaijan, was based on the initial findings of the investigation into the crash of Flight J2-8243. The airline emphasized that the move also takes into account potential flight safety risks.