KYIV, Apr 12 - The COVID-19 pandemic will delay the investigation into the downing of a Ukrainian international flight over Iran, after Canada asked Tehran to delay downloading data on the black boxes due to coronavirus travel restrictions, AFP reported.

Iran agreed in March to hand over the black boxes from Flight 752 to Ukraine or France for analysis – a move welcomed by Canada and Ukraine.

The boxes are expected to contain information about the last moments before the Ukraine International Airlines jetliner was struck by a missile and crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran airport on January 8.

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), which operated the flight, said it had started paying compensation to the families of passengers killed in the crash, UIA President Yevhen Dykhne told Interfax.

"The first part of compensation has been paid for some passengers. This is a slow process, but it will be carried out to the end," Dykhne said.

Dykhne said there were growing concerns within the company over Iran delaying the investigation to try to avoid liability.

"I have to say that the technical inquiry launched in Iran has hit a dead-end. Flight recorders haven't been sent to any laboratory, no reports concerning the end of the inquiry have been published, and there is no information regarding the successful conclusion of intergovernmental agreements on compensation to be paid by Iran," Dykhne said.

Iran has earlier offered $80,000 in compensation to the families of Ukrainian citizens killed in the UIA plane crash, but Ukraine said the sum was insufficient and will insist on larger reimbursement.

Last week, Iran contacted the countries involved to ask when they could send experts to help download the data off the black boxes, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).

While stressing that the concerned countries were “anxious for the download and analysis of the recorders to proceed”, TSB president Kathy Fox said they all “provided a consistent response, indicating that travelling was impossible at this time, and likely for some time to come” due to restrictions imposed due to the pandemic.

The Iranian military has admitted that the plane was shot down due to “human error”. Of the 176 victims, 57 were Canadian citizens and 29 were permanent residents in Canada. (afp/tl/ez)