St. petersburg: An Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft en route from St. Petersburg to Baku was compelled to make an emergency landing back at Pulkovo Airport due to a technical problem. The issue arose with the landing gear of the Airbus A320 during flight J2-020, prompting the captain’s decision to return to St. Petersburg for safety reasons.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the aircraft landed safely at 03:40, although it deviated slightly from the runway during the landing. Emergency and rescue services at Pulkovo Airport were placed on high alert in accordance with established safety procedures. Fortunately, all 155 passengers and crew members were evacuated without injuries.

To ensure flight safety, the crew adhered to protocol by reducing fuel levels before the emergency landing. Another AZAL plane was subsequently dispatched to transport the passengers from St. Petersburg to Baku. The aircraft successfully arrived at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku at 14:24 local time.

AZAL expressed gratitude to the passengers for their understanding and to the services at Pulkovo Airport for their professional response. The incident caused a temporary disruption at the airport, but operations resumed shortly after.