EgyptAir flight MS804: One Australian-British man among 56 passengers

The EgyptAir plane scheduled to make the following flight from Paris to Cairo taxies on the tarmac at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France, on May 19, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

CANBERRA - Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Friday (May 20) that an Australian man was on board EgyptAir flight MS804 which went missing en route from Paris to Cairo.

"I regretfully confirm that one of the passengers on Egypt Air flight, MS804, en route from Paris to Cairo, was an Australian-UK dual national," Ms Bishop said in a statement.

"We are working closely with UK authorities, which are taking the lead in the provision of consular assistance to the man's family.

"The government is working with our partners and allies to understand the reasons behind the flight's disappearance and presumed crash. It is too early to speculate on the cause of this incident," she added.

Ms Bishop said she and all Australians expressed their deepest sympathy in the wake of the tragedy and added that the government would not provide more details at this stage out of respect for the man's family.

The man was one of the 56 passengers onboard the Airbus A320 jet which was confirmed missing by Egyptian authorities late on Thursday after it departed Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport bound for the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The flight was 16 km into Egyptian airspace before it disappeared from radar at 2.45 am local time.

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