Name: Kazakh city of Aktau recalls the Azerbaijan Airlines crash one year on
Uploaded: 2025-12-25T03:23:57.697Z
Duration: 2 min 24 s
Description: A year after the Azerbaijan Airlines crash near Aktau, the tragedy still resonates with residents and responders to the incident in which 38 people died, and 29 survived with injuries.

A year after the Azerbaijan Airlines crash near Aktau, the tragedy still resonates with residents and responders to the incident in which 38 people died, and 29 survived with injuries.

Aktau

On December 25th of the previous year, Azerbaijan Airlines flight A243 crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan after being reportedly struck by a surface-to-air missile. The aircraft, carrying 67 people from several countries, made multiple landing attempts before crashing three kilometers from the airport.

Following the crash, 29 passengers were hospitalized in Aktau, with 11 in critical condition. Authorities from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan initiated a joint criminal investigation, and a commission of international experts is preparing a comprehensive report on the incident.

Kazakh city of Aktau recalls the Azerbaijan Airlines crash one year on

On the morning of December 25th last year, flight A243 issued a media call over the Caspian Sea. The aircraft was cleared to land by Aktau Air Traffic Control, but after entering Kazakhstan's airspace, the plane made two circles near the runway before tragically crashing on its third attempt. Here, just three kilometers from Aktau Airport, a passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed with 67 people on board. The aircraft was flying from Baku to Grozny when it was reportedly struck by a surface-to-air missile. Despite the damage and pilots' emergency landing requests, the Embraer jet was not allowed to land at any Russian airports. It continued flying over the Caspian Sea towards Kazakhstan. A year after the tragedy, fragments of the fuselage still lie scattered at the crash site. The aircraft was carrying passengers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. 29 people were taken to hospitals in Aktau with 11 in critical condition and admitted to the intensive care unit. Kazakhstan authorities launched a transparent criminal investigation in coordination with Azerbaijani officials. A special commission with a group of international experts are preparing the report.

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