"EgyptAir Crashes into Mediterranean: Terrorism Suspected; Was It ISIS?"

Chris Mitchell : May 19, 2016
CBN News

If terror is involved, it would be a catastrophic breach of security for the Charles DeGaulle Airport, one of the most important airports in the world.

(Egypt)—[CBN News] Egyptian and Greek militaries launched a major search and rescue operation Thursday for the remains of EgyptAir Flight 804. The flight carried 66 passengers and crew, including three children. (Screengrab via CBN News)

The possibility of a terror attack is one of the main considerations of what may have happened.

The EgyptAir flight left Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris at 11:09 p.m. local time and disappeared from radar at 2:30 a.m., nearly 3.5 hours later.

The plane was flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet when it lost contact with air control about 10 minutes before it disappeared from radar and about 10 minutes into Egyptian airspace over the Mediterranean Sea.

"An airline at cruise altitude is generally a very safe place to be. There's no reason for it to come down other than something nefarious or catastrophic happening," ABC News correspondent Steve Ganyard said.  

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said "no theory" could be ruled out as to the cause, but fears immediately turned to Islamic terrorism.

Israeli terrorism expert Dr. Michael Barak, a senior researcher and lecturer on counterterrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), told CBN News the crash of the Egypt Air flight could be the work of ISIS.

The Egyptian government is currently fighting ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula. ISIS is also calling on all Islamic groups to target Egypt.

Barak also noted that jihadi groups say France is a legitimate target too so hitting an Egyptian plane coming from France would be like killing two birds with one stone.

In addition, Barak suggested that someone who supports ISIS working at the Charles DeGaulle Airport might have slipped a bomb on the plane. In the Brussels airport bombing in March, one of the attackers worked at the airport. (Screengrab via CBN News)

Egypt has a troubled history. In March, an EgyptAir flight was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus by a man described as "psychologically unstable."

Last October, a Russian passenger plane was downed over the Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, which was likely the work of an airline employee who smuggled a bomb on board the plane.

Meanwhile in both France and Egypt, family members are worried and waiting for news of their loved ones.

If terror is involved, it would be a catastrophic breach of security for the Charles DeGaulle Airport, one of the most important airports in the world.

The ramifications could lead to increased security checks around the world, affect air traffic, hurt economies and likely lead to [longer] lines at airport security.