Alg?rie Flight With 116 on Board Reported Missing

Early Thursday morning Algeria’s state news agency reported that communication was lost between Flight 5017 and Air Algeria approximately 50 minutes after takeoff from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. No reports have been made that the flight was shot down or crashed. 

French Secretary of Transport Frédéric Cuvillier stated the flight, which is believed to have carried numerous French nationals, disappeared over Northern Mali,an area known for conflict between Islamist militants and Malian government and French forces. The flight path of the missing jet has not been confirmed, but the Federal Aviation Administration has warned airlines to use strong precautions when flying over Mali.

“Air Algerie launched [an] emergency plan.”, reported the agency. Meanwhile, an official at the Directorate of Ouagadougou Airport confirmed the incident, but was forbidden from disclosing his name to reporters.  

Swiftair, the Madrid-based charter company operating the jet, released a statement claiming they had lost contact with Flight 5017, which was expected to land in Algiers at 6:10 a.m. local time.