EgyptAir flight disappears over Mediterranean

The plane disappeared from radar a few minutes before landing. 66 people were on the flight, 56 passengers, seven crew members and three security people. Impact on tourism.

 

Cairo (AsiaNews) - Search and rescue operations are underway after an EgyptAir Airbus A320 disappeared from the radar on flight from Paris to Cairo.

The airline says the aircraft disappeared from radar about 3 am (local time). 66 people were on the flight, 56 passengers, seven crew members and three security people. There was no emergency message, but the Egyptian military claims to have received an SOS message. The aircraft should have arrived at 3:05. The passengers are mostly Egyptians, but there are also French, British, Iraqis and Saudis.

Last March, an EgyptAir plane flying the Alexandria-Cairo route was diverted to Cyprus. The hijacker was an unstable person, who wanted to see his ex-wife.

In October, the Islamic State claimed an attack on a Russian plane, full of tourists from Sharm el-Sheikh, which killed 224 people.

This latest plane disaster could cause further damage to the Egyptian tourism industry, which contributes to over 10% of the country's gross domestic product.

The EgyptAir hotline for information on relatives or friends is: +202259 89320.

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