ASTANA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed condolences after the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane on Dec. 25 in Aktau and called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation.

The facts are that the Azerbaijani civilian plane was damaged externally over Russian territory near Grozny, losing control in the process. We also know that electronic warfare systems caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable.

Several passenger plane crashes have occurred worldwide this year, including a Wednesday morning Azerbaijan Airlines wreck that has left dozens feared dead.