Azerbaijan on Sunday paid tribute to the crew of a passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day. 38 people died in the disaster. Thanks to the heroic emergency landing attempt by the pilots, 29 passengers survived.
Captain Igor Kshanjakin and co-pilot Alexander Kalyaninov were Azerbaijani citizens of Russian origin. Pilots and stewardess Hokuma Aliyev were honored in a ceremony at the cemetery on the Avenue of Merit in central Baku. The president of Azerbaijan took part in the ceremony Ilham Aliyev and his wife, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.
The pilots were paid tribute for their heroic deed. During an emergency landing attempt, they performed a maneuver that allowed 29 passengers to survive. However, they themselves died in the disaster. In turn, the stewardess Hokuma Aliyeva remained calm and professional until the last moments and tried to calm the passengers.
“Only thanks to the courage and professionalism of the crew, the emergency landing was a success,” said the office of the President of Azerbaijan.
– The pilots were experienced and knew they would not survive it – said the president during Sunday's ceremony. – They showed great heroism and thanks to this, some passengers survived – he added.
“He confirmed what a real hero should be like”
The Avenue of Merit in Baku is a cemetery dedicated to the most outstanding figures. This is the burial place of prominent politicians, scientists and writers. Heydar Aliyev, the father of the current president, rests in the cemetery.
Captain Kshanjakin's daughter said that her father was a dedicated pilot to his profession and always took responsibility for passengers deeply. – With his last flight, he confirmed what a true hero should be, said Kshanjakina.
A plane crash from Azerbaijan during a flight to Russia
An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 was on a flight from Baku to the Chechen capital, Grozny, Russia. It was diverted when Russian air defenses were active during the Ukrainian attacks, and eventually crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Vladimir Putin yesterday apologized to President Aliyev in a telephone conversation for the “tragic incident” that occurred when the plane was in Russian airspace. The president of Ukraine also contacted the president of Azerbaijan Volodymyr Zelenskyto express condolences. On social media, Zelensky demands explanations from Russia regarding the disaster.
Main photo source: EPA/KAZAKHSTAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY