Aviation disasters claim hundreds of lives in final week of December

The aviation industry faced a challenging week with two major accidents resulting in the loss of 217 lives. Despite these tragedies, air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation. The incidents included Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 and Jeju Air Flight 2216.

Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 was en route from Baku to Grozny when it encountered thick fog on December 25, making landing difficult. After several unsuccessful attempts, the aircraft diverted towards Aktau in Kazakhstan but crashed, killing 38 people. Russian authorities were accused of involvement due to military operations in the area. The White House stated that "early indications" pointed to Russia's responsibility, while President Putin called it a "tragic incident." Azerbaijan's President later accused Russia of downing the jet.

Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Sunday morning. The Boeing 737-800 failed to stop after belly-landing and collided with a wall, resulting in a fire that killed all but two of the 181 passengers and crew. Investigations are ongoing into possible causes such as bird strikes or weather conditions.