Kazakh VP: AZAL Plane Crash Probe Nears Completion

Kazakh Vice Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev has said that the Kazakh Ministry of Transport is nearing the final stage of its investigation into Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash near Aktau on December 25, 2024.

The probe is split into two parts: criminal investigation, led by the General Prosecutor’s Office, and technical investigation, handled by the Transport Ministry, The Caspian Post reports via local media.

The ministry is awaiting findings from foreign licensing authorities responsible for the plane’s technology and navigation systems. Once received, the technical investigation could be completed by the end of this year or early next year.

Bozumbayev also noted progress in the criminal investigation, with expectations that it will be concluded next year.

The crash involved an Embraer flight from Baku to Grozny carrying 62 people, including passengers from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Some 38 people died, while 29 survived, including three children. Preliminary data indicate the crash was caused by external physical and technical interference over Russian airspace near Grozny.