BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 29. Azerbaijan has lost skilled pilots and passengers due to the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft, which was caused by technical issues and external physical impacts, said Rashad Nabiyev, the country's Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Trend reports.
Speaking at a farewell ceremony at Heydar Aliyev International Airport for the three crew members—pilots Igor Kshnyakin, Alexander Kalyaninov, and flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva—who died in the tragic crash near Aktau, Nabiyev expressed his condolences and noted the country's profound loss.
On December 25, a passenger plane, an Embraer 190, belonging to AZAL, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport.
A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.
On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were taken to Azerbaijan.
On December 28, the bodies of the three crew members—Kshnyakin, Kalyaninov, and Aliyeva—along with the remains of 21 passengers, were transported back to Azerbaijan.