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President: The pilots were probably sure that this was their last flight, but they did everything in their power to save people’s lives

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

06 January 2025 14:12 (UTC +04:00)

If there are criteria of heroism and self-sacrifice, it is what the pilots did, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said at the meeting with the families of the crew members who lost their lives and the surviving flight attendants from the crash of an Embraer 190 passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC on the Baku-Grozny route, APA reports.

"You may also be following the way this tragic news is covered in the world media. Among other things, literally all experts highlight the professionalism and heroism of the pilots, as well as the high qualities of all other crew members. Because making an emergency landing and reaching the shore on a plane that was practically uncontrollable due to external impact in Russian airspace required both true professionalism and heroism. No one panicked, although, as I said, the crew members realized that there was virtually no chance of survival. The pilots were probably sure that this was their last flight, but they did everything in their power to save people’s lives. That is heroism. If there are criteria of heroism and self-sacrifice, it is what the pilots did," President added.