Turkmenistan Airlines suspends Moscow flights for one month

The airline had been operating regular flights to Moscow twice a week. The suspension comes amid growing concerns in the aviation sector following an incident involving an Azerbaijan Airlines flight earlier this month.

The suspension follows heightened caution in the region after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight en route from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan. The airline attributed the crash to "external physical and technical impact," though further details remain under investigation.

On December 26, Euronews, citing unnamed sources, reported that the aircraft may have been struck by Russian air defense forces during "aerial drone activity" over Grozny. Similarly, Reuters stated that a missile was fired toward the plane amidst drone activity in the area. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, confirmed drone attacks occurred during the plane’s approach to Grozny airport. However, the Russian government has not confirmed responsibility for the crash.

Following the incident, several airlines have suspended flights to Russian cities. Azerbaijan Airlines halted services to Grozny, Makhachkala, Sochi, Mineralnye Vody, Vladikavkaz, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saratov, Ufa, and Volgograd.

Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air canceled Astana–Yekaterinburg flights, while FlyDubai suspended flights to Sochi and Mineralnye Vody from Dubai. Additionally, Israel's national carrier, El Al, has also stopped flights to Russia.