EgyptAir Updates

Confusion and heartbreak gripped friends and families of the 66 victims of an EgyptAir flight that disappeared from radar yesterday en route to Cairo from Paris. EgyptAir thought they found debris from a crash only to later state that it wasn’t from the plane in question. Although Egyptian officials said terrorism was the most likely cause of MS804’s disappearance, US intelligence said their satellite imagery has so far not shown evidence of an explosion. No group has claimed responsibility for downing the plane, and neither terrorism nor technical difficulties could be ruled out. 

Egypt’s tourism industry was already struggling following political turmoil in the wake of the Arab Spring and the downing of a Russian passenger jet last year over the Sinai. Regardless of the cause of the crash, Egypt’s tourism sector will suffer further, putting more pressure on the country’s economy which relied on tourists for a steady flow of dollars (and euros and roubles).