Greece Gives Timeline of Missing Egyptair Aircraft

Greece's civil aviation department issued a timeline on Thursday of the missing EgyptAir plane's journey over Greece before it disappeared in Egyptian airspace.

Times are local. Greece is three hours ahead of GMT.

02:24 - EgyptAir flight 804 from Paris to Cairo enters Greek airspace, air traffic controller permissions it for the remainder of its course.

02:48 - The flight is transferred to the next air traffic control sector and is cleared for exit from Greek airspace. "The pilot was in good spirits and thanked the controller in Greek."

03:27 - Athens air traffic control tries to contact the aircraft to convey information on the switch of communications and control from Athens to Cairo air traffic.

In spite of repeated calls, the aircraft does not respond, whereupon the air traffic controller calls the distress frequency, without a response from the aircraft.

03:29 - It is above the exit point (from Greek airspace).

03:39:40 - The aircraft signal is lost, approximately 7 nautical miles south/southeast of the KUMBI point, within Cairo FIR.

Immediately the assistance of radars of the Hellenic Air Force is requested to detect the target, without result.

03:45 - The processes of search and rescue are initiated, simultaneously informing the Flight Information Region of Cairo.

(Writing by George Georgiopoulos)