The plane was flying at 37,000 feet when it disappeared before entering Egyptian airspace, the airline said. The airliner was carrying 56 passengers, seven crew members and three security men.
The airline’s media center said it would be providing updates as news becomes available. In a tweet, EgyptAir stated: “An informed source at EGYPTAIR stated that Flight no MS804,which departed Paris at 23:09 (CEST),heading to Cairo has disappeared from radar.”
USA Today is reporting the three-and-a-half hour flight left at 11:21 p.m. Paris time, more than half an hour after its scheduled departure of 10:45 p.m., according to the Flight Aware website. It was expected to arrive in Cairo at 2:55 a.m., 15 minutes after its scheduled arrival of 2:40 a.m., according to Flight Aware.
EgyptAir operates from a hub at Cairo International Airport and is based in Heliopolisk, Egypt. It offers passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations.
A Twitter feed is reporting EGYPTAIR A320 was at a height of 37.000 ft, and disappeared after entering Egyptian airspace. The airline has contacted the concerned authorities and rescue teams have been dispatched.
There was no immediate indication what might have happened to the plane, but Egyptian authorities told NBC News that search operations were under way over the Mediterranean Sea.
This story is a breaking news report. As more information comes in, the story will be updated.
