On Christmas Day, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for Grozny Airport (GRX) in Russia was struck by a surface to air missile and crashed while attempting to divert to Aktau Airport (SCO) in Kazakhstan. In the wake of that incident, Azerbaijan Airlines has just announced that it will suspend service to eight Russian airports via its official X page.
The airline states in part that, beginning on December 28, 2024, flights between the carrier’s hub at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) and the following destinations will be suspended for an undetermined amount of time:
- Mineralnye Vody (MRV)
- Sochi (AER)
- Volgograd (VOG)
- Ufa (UFA)
- Samara (KUF)
- Saratov (GSV)
- Nizhny Novgorod (GOJ)
- Vladikavkaz (OGZ)
The eight destinations above join Grozny (GRZ) and Makhachkala (MCX) which were suspended on December 25, 2025.
As part of the announcement the airline provided the below explanation for the suspension of service:
“This decision, made in accordance with the Azerbaijan State Civil Aviation Authority, is based on the preliminary results of the investigation into the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft operating the Baku-Grozny flight J2-8243 of Azerbaijan Airlines due to physical and technical external interference and considers potential risks to flight safety. The suspension will remain in effect until the completion of the final investigation.”
Affected passengers to and from the affected cities in Russia have the opportunity to receive a full refund without penalties or rebook their tickets to a later date.
While it is still early in the investigation process, Azerbaijan Airlines is taking steps to minimize risk to passengers and crew by electing to avoid a large part of Southern Russia. It will be interesting to see what the “official” investigation states as the cause of the crash and how other airlines operating in the region respond.
Summary
Azerbaijan Airlines has indefinitely suspended flights to ten destinations in Russia after one of the carrier’s planes was fired upon when attempting to land in Grozny on Christmas Day. Flights are not expected to resume until the investigation into the downing of that aircraft is completed.