Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended several more services to Russian cities after preliminary indications that “external interference” played a role in the fatal loss of an Embraer 190.
The aircraft, bound for Grozny as J28243 on 25 December, diverted to Aktau with apparent flight-control problems and subsequently crashed while attempting to land.
Azerbaijan Airlines says preliminary results of the crash inquiry suggest “physical and technical external interference”, although it does not elaborate on their nature.
But the empennage of the aircraft indicated damage resembling shrapnel impact – possibly pointing to a detonation – and the region in which it was flying has also been subjected to instances of GPS jamming.
Several media outlets have claimed, based on Azerbaijani government sources, that a missile fired during drone activity exploded near the aircraft.
Azerbaijan Airlines is suspending services to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod and Vladikavkaz from 28 December.
It had already stated that it was halting flights to Grozny and Makhachkala following the accident.
“The suspension will remain in effect until the completion of the final investigation,” the carrier states.
It says the decision has been made over “potential risks to flight safety”, adding that passengers of the airline who have bookings on the affected routes will be able to rebook or obtain a refund.
