EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo did crash, French president confirms

EgyptAir flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo that went off-radar in the early hours of Thursday morning did crash and disappear, the French president has confirmed.

Francois Hollande said:

"It was feared that this plane had crashed. The information that we have managed to gather confirm alas that this plane has crashed, and it has disappeared. 66 passengers were on board, including the crew and security personnel. Among the passengers there were 15 French citizens. A crisis cell was actioned immediately. Alongside the Egyptian authorities we are making sure that all the families should be informed during this test. Our thoughts and solidarity and compassion are with them."

He hasn't ruled out terrorism as the cause. https://twitter.com/ABCNews24/status/733246817064751104

On Thursday afternoon, the Egyptian Minister for Aviation conceded that the disappearance of the EgyptAir flight was more likely due to terrorism than a technical failure within the plane itself.

Speaking at a press conference, Sherif Fathy stated:

“If you analyse the situation properly the possibility of having a terror attack is higher than the possibility of having a technical [problem]."

Search efforts are currently focused near the island of Karpathos. The plane made "sudden swerves" before disappearing completely from the radar, according to the Greek Defence Minister.   At lunchtime on Thursday (UK time) two pieces of debris believed to be from the plane were discovered. https://twitter.com/ReutersAero/status/733279878167007232 Britain's foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, confirmed that one British national was on board:

"My thoughts are with the family and friends of all those missing following the disappearance of EgyptAir’s flight MS804. We are in close contact with Egyptian and French authorities and have offered the Egyptian authorities our support in their search and rescue efforts.

We know that one British passport holder boarded the flight in Paris and our staff are providing support and assistance to the family at this difficult time. We will continue to help in any way we can.

The confirmation of the crash comes after a morning of conflicting reports about the fate of the airliner. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that contact was lost with the plane - which was carrying 56 people and 10 crew - at roughly 4am today."

  The confirmation of the crash comes after a morning of conflicting reports about the fate of the airliner. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that contact was lost with the plane - which was carrying 56 people and 10 crew - at roughly 4am today. EgyptAir officials reportedly told the Associated Press agency that the "possibility that the plane crashed has been confirmed", and that the search is now underway for debris. However, the European Aviation Safety Agency then urged for people not to speculate. https://twitter.com/EASA/status/733196686298877952 EgyptAir has been using its social media accounts to keep the world updated, and has confirmed that three children were among the 56 passengers on the flight. https://twitter.com/EGYPTAIR/status/733140286218604544 The airline has also provided a breakdown of the nationalities on board the plane. https://twitter.com/EGYPTAIR/status/733170619383177216 https://twitter.com/EGYPTAIR/status/733170668297150464 The airline has further confirmed that there is "no special or dangerous cargo on board'. https://twitter.com/RawyaRageh/status/733187972317782017 But EgyptAir says "the plane’s emergency devices sent a signal that was received at 4.26am local time, two hours after the last radar contact". https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/733167077255712768 The Guardian reports that "the 12-year-old Airbus A320-232 was about 40 minutes from its destination. It was the aircraft’s fifth flight of the day, including journeys to Asmara, Eritrea and Carthage in Tunisia." https://twitter.com/business/status/733188271568752640 https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/733187292181864448   For anyone concerned about relatives, you can call an EgyptAir hotline on +202 25989320 from outside Egypt (ITV News). https://twitter.com/PeterSebastianW/status/733201651964641280 https://twitter.com/business/status/733188271568752640     The Egyptian navy, air force and coastguard are currently searching for the missing plane, according to reports. Greece has also sent support for the search, which is focused on an area some 280km north of the Egyptian coast in the Mediterranean. https://twitter.com/ReutersGraphics/status/733204334511456256 Relatives of the passengers and crew are gathering at Cairo Airport, awaiting any more news. https://twitter.com/TheCairoPost/status/733271011114749952