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Air Algerie 'loses contact with plane' flying from Burkina Faso Air Algerie 'loses contact with plane' flying from Burkina Faso
(35 minutes later)
Air Algerie has lost contact with an aircraft travelling from Burkina Faso in west Africa carrying a total of 116 people on board. Air Algerie has lost contact with an aircraft travelling from Burkina Faso in west Africa with a total of 116 people on board.
Aviation authorities said flight AH5017 disappeared from radar about 50 minutes after take-off from Ouagadougou, Algeria's state news agency reported on Thursday.Aviation authorities said flight AH5017 disappeared from radar about 50 minutes after take-off from Ouagadougou, Algeria's state news agency reported on Thursday.
The airline said: "In keeping with procedures, Air Algerie has launched its emergency plan." Air Algerie said: "In keeping with procedures, Air Algerie has launched its emergency plan."
The plane is chartered from Spanish airline Swiftair, who said 110 passengers and six crew are believed to be on board the plane. The last contact Algerian authorities had with the aircraft was at 01.55am GMT when it was flying over Gao, Mali, an Algerian official said.
The company said in a statement posted on its website that the passenger jet took off from Burkina Faso at 01.17am local time and was supposed to land in Algiers at 05.10am local time but never reached its destination. A diplomat in the Malian capital Bamako said that the north of the country was struck by a powerful sandstorm overnight.
The plane is chartered from Spanish airline Swiftair, who said 110 passengers and six crew are believed to be on board the MD83 aircraft.
The company said in a statement posted on its website that the passenger jet took off from Burkina Faso at 01.17am and was supposed to land in Algiers at 05.10am but never reached its destination.
It said the six crew members includes two pilots and four flight attendants.It said the six crew members includes two pilots and four flight attendants.
The AFP news agency have quoted an unnamed Air Algerie company source as saying that the plane was close to the Algerian frontier when it was asked to make a detour because of poor visibility and to prevent a possible collision with another plane on the Algiers-Bamako route.The AFP news agency have quoted an unnamed Air Algerie company source as saying that the plane was close to the Algerian frontier when it was asked to make a detour because of poor visibility and to prevent a possible collision with another plane on the Algiers-Bamako route.
The source said contact was lost after this change of course.The source said contact was lost after this change of course.
An Algerian official confirmed to Reuters the aircraft is an Airbus A320. Flight AH 5017 flies the Ouagadougou-Algiers route four times per week.An Algerian official confirmed to Reuters the aircraft is an Airbus A320. Flight AH 5017 flies the Ouagadougou-Algiers route four times per week.
The plane's flight path was not immediately clear. Ouagadougou is in a nearly straight line south of Algiers, passing over Mali.The plane's flight path was not immediately clear. Ouagadougou is in a nearly straight line south of Algiers, passing over Mali.
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