[ridesthemiles]

WHY WERE THEY FLOWN TO THAT LOCATION????

WHY NOT SOMEWHERE SAFER????

[Alas Babylon!]

Because up until this month, it was a normally scheduled flight.

Red Wings airlines (Russian owned) flies three weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Makhachkala (and back).

[Angelino97]

According to a story I read, they were flying to one location, then Muslims gathered there.

So the plane was re-routed to the new location. But they announced the new location (as airlines normally do), and so Muslims gathered there as well.

A plane can stay up in the air only so long.