A well-placed source at EgyptAir said on Thursday that 56 passengers, including 30 Egyptians, 15 French and two Iraqis, and 10 crew members were on board the missing plane. 

Other passengers are from Britain, Belgium, Canada, Portugal, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Sudan and Chad, the source added.

EgyptAir said that it secured a number of doctors and translators to help the families of those who were on board the missing plane.

The relatives of passengers can call an EgyptAir hotline on 0800 7777 0000 from any landline in Egypt, the source added. 

Radar lost contact with Flight MS804 at 2:45 Cairo local time while it was at an altitude of 37,000 feet. It was scheduled to arrive at Cairo Airport at 3:15 am Cairo local time.

The flight took off from Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday 23:09 Paris local time then it disappeared from radar after entering the Egyptian airspace.

EgyptAir said that the captain had recorded more than 6,000 flying hours, including 2,000 hours in that model.

Source: MENA