Egyptian Plane Flying to Cairo from France Goes Missing with 69 People on Board

Egyptian Plane Flying to Cairo from France Goes Missing with 69 People on Board

An EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo has disappeared from radar, according to the Egyptian airline. It stated on its Twitter page that the flight departed the French capital late Wednesday night around 23:09 CEST (21:09 GMT).

It says there are 56 passengers, seven crew members and three security personnel on board Flight MS804.

The Airbus A320 was flying at 37,000ft (11,300m) when it went missing over the eastern Mediterranean. An official said the plane lost contact with radar at 02:45 Cairo time (00:45 GMT).

EgyptAir says search and rescue teams have been deployed.

The airline said the passengers on board included 30 Egyptians, 15 French citizens, one Briton, as well as people from Belgium, Algeria, Sudan, Chad and Portugal.

There were three children on board.

An informed source at EGYPTAIR stated that Flight no MS804,which departed Paris at 23:09 (CEST),heading to Cairo has disappeared from radar.

— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) May 19, 2016

EGYPTAIR media centre will update as more information becomes available.

— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) May 19, 2016

EGYPTAIR has contacted the concerned authorities and bodies and inspection is underway through the rescue teams.

— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) May 19, 2016

While the airliner has promised further updates as soon as information becomes available, the BBC further reports that the aircraft was flying at 37,000ft (11,300m) when it went missing over the eastern Mediterranean.

An official reportedly said the plane lost contact with the radar at 02:45 Cairo time (00:45 GMT), and the airline confirmed via Twitter that the necessary inspection had commenced.

Last March, one EgyptAir flight temporarily went off the radar and subsequently landed in Cyprus in an incredible hijack by a lovelorn professor who demanded to see his estranged wife.