Ukrainian International Airlines (UIA) on Thursday announced indefinite suspension of all flights to Iran after a plane crash.
The statement came after UIA flight PS752, a Boeing 737 passenger plane, crashed early Wednesday near Iran’s capital Tehran shortly after take-off. All 176 people aboard died, including 167 passengers and nine crew members.
In the statement, the company expressed condolence to the families of victims, saying it will cooperate with the aviation authorities on the investigation of the cause.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the 176 people include 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three British nationals.
The crashed Boeing 737-800 plane was built in 2016 and delivered directly to the airline from the manufacturer. The plane went through scheduled maintenance on Monday before departure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and returned to Ukrainian capital Kiev after suspending his visit in Oman.
According to the Ukrainian Embassy in Iran, the accident cause will be released by the investigation committee. Any declaration is invalid until the committee’s formal statement.
