BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 25. Like everyone else, my son had dreams. He wished for the same things ordinary people do, said Elena Kalyaninova, the mother of Aleksandr Kalyaninov, one of the pilots who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash near Aktau, TurkicWorld reports.
Kalyaninova stated that her son’s life plans were tragically left unfinished.
“He wanted to raise children, start a family, and live a normal life. But all of my son’s dreams were cut short,” she added.
On December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190-100 IGW passenger aircraft, registered in the state register under number 4K-AZ65 and owned by Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (AZAL), crashed in the Republic of Kazakhstan near Aktau Airport while performing regular flight J2-8243 from Baku (Republic of Azerbaijan) to Grozny (Russian Federation). Two crew members (the captain and co-pilot), the senior flight attendant, and 35 passengers were lost in the crash.
Notably, by the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, dated December 29, 2024, the title of "National Hero of Azerbaijan" has been posthumously awarded to crew members Igor Kshnyakin, Alexander Kalyaninov, and Hokuma Aliyeva, who demonstrated high professionalism, bravery, and dedication in fulfilling their duties and saving passengers’ lives during the incident involving the Embraer 190 passenger aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines Closed Joint Stock Company en route from Baku to Grozny.
