A Sukhoi Superjet 100, operated by Azimuth Airlines, experienced a detachment of an engine cowling during takeoff from Vnukovo Airport in Moscow on June 15. The aircraft, en route to Batumi, Georgia, was forced to return to the departure airport shortly after takeoff.

The incident prompted a “blue” alert at the airport, indicating an emergency situation in the air. The flight, identified as RA-89120, circled over Serpukhov and Chekhov to burn off fuel before safely landing back at Vnukovo approximately an hour after departure. The detached cowling part was subsequently found on the runway.

Azimuth Airlines confirmed that the return was “due to a technical reason” and arranged for passengers to be transported to Batumi on a replacement aircraft. The affected aircraft, RA-89120, is six years old and regularly operates flights between Moscow and the Georgian cities of Batumi and Tbilisi. It has been grounded since the incident.

Azimuth Airlines has three owners: RKR, owned by the Rostov Region government (25.06%), and Moscow-based “AT” and “Company Unox” (37.46% each). The airline reported a net profit of 729 million rubles in 2024, a decrease compared to the 2.07 billion rubles earned in 2023, although revenue increased from 25.4 billion to 29.1 billion rubles.

Past incidents involving Azimuth Airlines include a fuselage fire on a Superjet 100 during approach to Antalya Airport in November 2024 and an emergency landing at Mineralnye Vody Airport in December 2024 due to a fuel filter sensor malfunction.