Azerbaijan will soon restore direct flights to Russia, ending a suspension imposed after the fatal crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet in December 2024.
The announcement came during talks in Moscow between Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Bayramov said flights on several routes are expected to resume in the near future, although he did not specify a date.
Azerbaijan Airlines suspended services to 10 Russian cities after an Embraer E190 traveling from Baku to Grozny was struck by a Russian surface-to-air missile on December 25, 2024. The aircraft attempted to divert before crashing in western Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
The tragedy strained relations between the two countries. In April, however, Moscow and Baku reached an agreement under which Russia formally acknowledged the involvement of its air defense system and agreed to compensate the victims’ families.
Lavrov said the two governments have now settled all outstanding issues related to the incident.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said restoring air links would help strengthen regional connectivity and support economic development across the South Caucasus.
The ministers also highlighted growing economic cooperation, noting that bilateral trade between Azerbaijan and Russia reached $4.9 billion in 2025.
