Azerbaijan Airlines hails ‘heroism’ of dead pilots for saving 29 lives in Kazakhstan jet crash

The president of Azerbaijan Airlines praised the pilots of flight J2-8243 after the plane, carrying 67 people, crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

Although both pilots were among the 38 fatalities reported by Kazakh authorities, nearly half the passengers – 29 people – survived.

Samir Rzayev, who heads up the airline, also known as AZAL, told reporters on Wednesday that the two pilots’ “heroism will never be forgotten”.

“While this tragic accident brought a significant loss to our nation, the crew’s valiant dedication to their duties until the last moment and their prioritisation of human life have immortalised their names in history,” Rzayev said, according to the Azerbaijani news agency Report.

Rzayev said the pilots collectively had over 15,000 flight hours and that the plane had recently passed a technical inspection.

“Despite these measures, the causes of the incident are still under investigation,” Rzayev added.