Russian air defences downed an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people, four sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan's investigation into the disaster told Reuters on Thursday. Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian drone strikes. The Embraer passenger jet had flown from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, in Russia's southern Chechnya region, before veering off hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea. bIt crashed on the opposite shore of the Caspian after what Russia's aviation watchdog said was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike. Officials did not explain why it had crossed the sea. The nearest Russian airport on the plane's flight path, Makhachkala, was closed on Wednesday morning. One of the Azerbaijani sources familiar with Azerbaijan's investigation into the crash told Reuters that preliminary results showed the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system. Its communications were paralysed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Grozny, the source said. b"No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft," the source said. Three other sources confirmed that the Azeri investigation had come to the same preliminary conclusion. Russia's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. A U.S. official told Reuters on Thursday there were early indications a Russian anti-aircraft system may have struck the plane. Canada said it was deeply concerned by reports that Russian air defence may have struck the aircraft. "We call on Russia to allow for an open and transparent investigation into the incident and to accept its findings," the Canadian foreign ministry said in a statement on X.<br/>
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NATO on Thursday called for a full investigation into the cause of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that killed 38 people. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and victims of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243," NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said in a post on the platform X.b "We wish those injured in the crash a speedy recovery and call for a full investigation." Kazakhstan's senate chairman said earlier on Thursday that the cause of the plane crash was still unknown.<br/>
The Kremlin on Thursday warned against speculating what may have caused an Azerbaijan Airlines flight to crash, killing 38 of the 67 on board, after an aviation expert said evidence indicated that a Russian anti-missile battery may have brought down the passenger plane. The Embraer 190 crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau while en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Chechnya in Russia on Wednesday. The flight attempted to make an emergency landing about 1.8 miles from Aktau, according to Azerbaijan Airlines, but instead hit the ground, erupted into a fiery ball and split into two. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the investigation into the cause of the crash was underway. “It would be incorrect to make any hypotheses before the investigation comes to conclusions, and we definitely cannot do it and no one should do it,” he said in his daily press conference. Kanat Bozumbayev, the Kazakh deputy prime minister, also cautioned against assigning a cause while the investigation is in its preliminary stage. “The police and the prosecutor’s office are conducting forensic examinations,” Bozumbayev told Kazakh media on Thursday, adding, “Therefore, at this point, it is premature to talk about anything. This is pure hype.” Putin’s and Bozumbayev’s comments come amid growing speculation that Russian air defenses may be behind the crash. “Subsequent reporting and contextual information, including the follow-on video examination of the wreckage ... and circumstances surrounding the airspace security environment in southwest Russia, leads Osprey to assess that the flight was likely shot down by a Russian air defense system,” said Matthew Borie, chief intelligence officer at the aviation security firm Osprey Flight Solutions. Borie said another potential theory, that the plane collided with a bird or birds, would have probably led to reports of more than one explosion and the damage to the aircraft appearing differently.<br/>
El Al, has canceled its flights to Moscow for the upcoming week, citing "developments in Russia's airspace," according to Israeli media reports on Thursday, News.az reports citing The Times of Israel. “Over the next week, a renewed assessment of the situation will be carried out to decide whether the route will be resumed,” El Al says in a statement. El Al will soon send passengers an update regarding the developments, the airline says. The move comes after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan yesterday was said by some officials to be downed by a Russian air defense system.<br/>
US start-up carrier Breeze Airways is on track to launch its first international flights early in 2025. CE David Neeleman told FlightGlobal on 17 December that Salt Lake City-based Breeze is “in the process” of securing US flag carrier status with the Federal Aviation Administration. Breeze is already flying internationally with its charter operation and is now ”waiting for our scheduled service authority”, Neeleman says. “I’m pretty confident we’ll get that done in the first quarter,” he adds. Since launching in May 2021, Breeze has found success by flying to smaller, underserved airports throughout the USA. Rival start-up Avelo Airlines employs a similar model. Breeze’s primary aircraft is the Airbus A220-300, a single-aisle twinjet with a range of 3,800nm (6,110km) that could eventually be used for ocean-crossing flights. It is targeting near-international destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America for its first scheduled commercial operations outside of the USA. The carrier has also applied for an ETOPS – or extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards – certification to fly over long stretches of water. That would enable flights between Hawaii and mainland USA, as well as from the East Coast to Europe, though chief guest officer Fiona Kiesel told Airline Business in October that such flights are not imminent. <br/>
Mexico's state-owned airline Mexicana will next year purchase five planes from Brazilian jet manufacturer Embraer, followed by seven in 2026 and eight in 2027, as it looks to boost a passenger fleet offering affordable air travel options. Mexicana Chief Leobardo Avila made the announcement in a morning press conference on Thursday after the government announced earlier this year it would buy 20 planes.<br/>
Air Serbia has again ruled out the possibility of joining an airline alliance following several years as part of the Etihad Partners equity alliance formed by its former minority shareholder. Speaking recently to Germany’s “Airliners.de”, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said, “We have no intention of entering into an alliance again. We do not see any added value that we would gain from it, as opposed to what we would lose in terms of independence. Today, we prefer to maintain strong partnerships with Air France, Turkish Airlines and with Qatar Airways. We offer them strong access to the Balkan region and to Southeast Europe”. According to Mr Marek, the carrier will continue to prioritise its independence. “We don't want anyone else to tell us who we can and can't cooperate with. Especially since Serbia is a very strong market - this year the gross national product is expected to grow by 4%, and flight demand, it is said, is always double that. And then Expo 2027 will take place in Belgrade, which will also further stimulate the market”. He added, “Since last year, Air Serbia has been 100% owned by the Serbian state again. Today we have a simple business relationship with Etihad. We have reinstated our codeshare and use their frequent flyer program. But we are currently developing our own, so we will see how we continue the relationship with Etihad. This is now a normal commercial relationship between airlines”<br/>
Batik Air, a full-service Malaysian airline and a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Lion Air Group, is expanding its reach by adding two new destinations in China: Beijing and Changsha. Starting in March 2025, these new routes will enhance connectivity between Malaysia and China, fostering greater trade and tourism opportunities. This expansion marks a milestone for Batik Air, increasing its Chinese network to eight destinations. The airline already serves Chengdu, Guangzhou, Haikou, Kunming, Zhangjiajie, and Zhengzhou. Further, the two destinations are key to aligning with the airline’s vision of connecting cultures, people, and opportunities across Asia.<br/>