Chinese airlines are steering clear of flights over Russia following the plane crash in Kazakhstan, according to reports.

Chinese airlines seem to be avoiding flights over the southwestern region of the Russian Federation following the plane crash in Kazakhstan. This concerns routes to Georgia and Hungary.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing South China Morning Post.

According to the publication, flights between the western Chinese city of Urumqi and the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, are bypassing the southwestern Russian region of Dagestan. Since December 26, aircraft from China Southern Airlines and Air China have been entering Georgian airspace through Azerbaijan after crossing the Caspian Sea and returning the same way.

Changes have also been noted on China Southern flights connecting the Hungarian capital Budapest with Guangzhou in southern China.

Instead of flying through Dagestan to Hungary after crossing the Caspian Sea, China Southern planes last week flew over central and western Russia before heading south to Budapest. It is worth mentioning that this route was occasionally used by the airline even before the crash.

However, most Chinese carriers continue to operate their original routes through Russian airspace, particularly those heading to Western Europe and Scandinavia.

Plane Crash in Kazakhstan

Recall that on the morning of December 25, an "Azerbaijan Airlines" plane was flying from Baku to Grozny. However, the aircraft was unable to land in the Russian city. The plane turned towards the Kazakh city of Aktau, where it crashed.

It later became known that the aircraft was shot down by Russian air defense near Grozny and was denied landing on Russian territory.

It is also known that the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin called Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev twice. During the conversations, the leaders discussed the details of the plane crash.

To find out whether Aliyev will distance himself from Putin due to this aviation incident, read our exclusive article.