Were it not for the pillar of smoke twisting above the thick pine forest, the scene might have resembled any other stretch of Russia’s vast and sparsely populated Far East. Earlier that day, an Antonov An-24 with 48 people on board disappeared from radar on its approach to Tynda, a town in the China-abutting Amur region. When investigators arrived at the source of the smoke, they found only a crumple of metal among the trees and no survivors. The July 24 disaster has prompted authorities to launch a probe of 51 regional airlines in an effort to improve safety standards in an industry that they say is seeing an upsurge in fatalities. This week, authorities grounded the carrier, Angara Airlines. But while sanctions are battering the domestic air sector, the more notable trend appears to be a ri
Continue Reading on The Moscow Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.