AZAL official: Timely notification could help avoid tragedy of Baku-Grozny flight

This is not the first case of airspace closure over Grozny, but tragedy was avoided then thanks to timely notification and the aircraft's return to Baku, Airbus A320 captain and AZAL Airlines Flight Safety Management Director Rinat Huseynov said on the "Shall We Talk?" podcast speaking about AZAL plane crash which occurred on December 25, Report informs.

"There was a case when the airspace over Grozny was closed. After takeoff, we received information about this, and that time it came on time. The aircraft returned to Baku, as required in such circumstances," Huseynov said.

During the interview, they discussed the reasons why the aircraft that crashed near Aktau could not return to the departure airport, and why an emergency water landing or reaching the runway proved impossible.

Huseynov also noted that the preliminary crash report from Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport has already been submitted, but the final investigation results are still pending. AZAL's internal investigation is also ongoing to identify all details of the tragedy.

"The key fact that has been established is that the aircraft was subjected to external impact," said Huseynov, responding to a question about the most important finding in the Kazakhstan Ministry of Transport's report.

The captain described the condition of the crashed aircraft, the specifics of oxygen cylinder operations on board, as well as the crew's actions, which were deemed professional and will become a subject of study in global aviation practice.

"We will wait for the final response and recommendations that will be made both for the entire international community and for our operators operating within the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan," he added.

AZAL passenger aircraft operating the Baku-Grozny flight crashed on December 25, 2024, near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. Of the 67 people on board the aircraft, 38 died and 29 survived.