Final report on AZAL plane crash near Aktau expected in coming months

The final report on the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane near the Kazakh city of Aktau is expected to be completed in the next few months, according to Kazakh media sources.

The announcement was made by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, who noted that the investigation is ongoing and involves cooperation between multiple countries, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia.

The accident occurred on December 25, 2024, when an Embraer E190AR aircraft operating AZAL flight J2–8243 from Baku to Grozny was forced to make an emergency landing near Aktau. The plane had sent out an "SOS" signal while flying over the Caspian Sea and ultimately crashed approximately 3 kilometers from Aktau airport.

In the aftermath of the crash, criminal proceedings were launched in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Mourning was declared in Azerbaijan on December 26 and in Chechnya on December 28, underlining the gravity of the tragedy and its international resonance.

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on December 28 to offer condolences and formally apologize for the crash occurring within Russian airspace.