AZAL suspends Baku-Astrakhan flights until further notice for security reasons

BAKU. Feb 3 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) will suspend flights between Baku and Astrakhan until further notice for security reasons, the airline said in a statement on Monday.

"Given sporadic closure of the airspace in Astrakhan, Russia, in the recent period, including today, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) suspends all flights on the Baku-Astrakhan-Baku route until further notice for the sake of flight security," it said.

Passengers who had booked their flights could get a full refund without a penalty or choose another destination, it said.

"AZAL is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to timely inform passengers about any changes in its timetable," the airline said.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said on Monday morning that restrictions on arrivals and departures had been imposed at the airports of Astrakhan, Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Saratov and Ulyanovsk. The restrictions were lifted at the Astrakhan airport about 90 minutes later.