Air Algerie Flight: Algerian Official Confirms Plane Has Crashed With 116 Passengers

An aircraft from Algeria's Air Algerie with about 120 people aboard, mostly French and Spanish tourists, has been missing since this morning, when it was last detected in the skies of northeastern Mali. The aircraft covered the Ouagadougou and Algiers line trail went up to Gao, northeastern Mali. An Algerian official has told Reuters that the plane has indeed crashed.

Air Algerie announced on Thursday that they had lost contact with one of its aircraft, leased to the Spanish company Swiftair, 50 minutes after it took off from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. "The air navigation services have lost contact with Air Algerie plane flying Thursday from Ouagadougou to Algiers, 50 minutes after takeoff," said the Algerian public company.

"Air Algerie reports that air navigation services had the last contact with flying AH 5017 that runs between Ouagadougou and Algiers on July 24 at 1 hour and 55 minutes GMT, ie 50 minutes after takeoff," said a statement. "I can confirm that it has crashed," the Algerian official told Reuters. French aircraft have been deployed to the area.