WNAM REPORT: Turkmenistan Airlines on Monday entered into effect its decision to cancel flights between the Turkmen capital Ashgabat and Moscow until the end of January.
The state-owned airline declared on Saturday that there would be no flights between the two capitals from Dec. 30 to Jan. 31.
“Dear passengers! We inform you that Turkmenistan Airlines reports that regular flights on the route Ashgabat-Moscow-Ashgabat in the period from 30.12.24 to 31.01.25 are cancelled,” the statement had said.
It did not disclose the reasons behind the decision, but said refunds will be available.
The move comes as multiple airlines have suspended their flights to destinations in Russia since last week’s Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash in Kazakhstan.
An Azerbaijan Airlines flight, en route from Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechen Republic, crashed 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau on the Caspian Sea coast.
Kazakh authorities said 38 people were killed in the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft, which had 67 people on board, while 29 survived. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Initial statements said a bird collision might have caused the crash, though footage from the site revealed large holes in the tail section of the aircraft, leading to speculation of a possible attack.
Senior Azerbaijani officials confirmed to Anadolu reports suggesting the plane crash was caused by a Russian missile system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday, apologized over the incident and offered his condolences.
