Kazakh Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev commented on the situation involving an S7 Airlines aircraft that declared a distress signal over Kazakh territory and ultimately made an emergency landing in Omsk, speaking on the sidelines of the Independence Palace, where ICAO Security Week 2026 is being held, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to the deputy minister, the cause was a technical malfunction in one of the engines. "It was a technical... (technical malfunction — ed. note), that is, there was a malfunction in one of the engines, and accordingly, in line with instructions and standards, the pilots declared an emergency situation but set course for an alternate airfield, in Omsk if I'm not mistaken, and landed safely," Talgat Lastayev said.
He also answered journalists' questions about why the pilots did not land at Kokshetau airport, even though it was closer. "That is determined specifically by the captain. There are many factors. For example, all else being equal (conditions — ed. note), companies strive to land at an airfield where they have a technical base, so that certified engineers there can immediately begin (inspecting the aircraft — ed. note)," the deputy minister explained.
Recall that it was reported earlier that the crew of a Novosibirsk — Makhachkala flight declared a distress signal in the skies over Kazakhstan. It later became known that the cause was a technical malfunction. It subsequently emerged that Russia's Investigative Committee had launched a probe into the matter.