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Feature: Greece remains on standby in EgyptAir flight search

Xinhua, May 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

Greek authorities remained on standby Saturday to help with the ongoing multinational search and retrieval operation of EgyptAir's Flight MS804 after it vanished shortly after exiting Greece's airspace on Thursday.

Greek Defense Ministry sources who spoke anonymously to Xinhua stressed that Greek Armed Forces remained at Egypt's disposal since the early hours of Thursday when the incident happened.

EgyptAir's Flight MS804, en route from Paris to Cairo, disappeared from radar screens on Thursday at 2:45 a.m. local time in Cairo (0045 GMT) with 66 people aboard, including 30 Egyptians and 15 French.

Greek Civil Aviation Authority (YPA) and police sources on Saturday dismissed reports that security measures at Greek airports, ports, train stations or other public spaces have been beefed up following the tragedy.

No obvious changes have been made at the Athens International airport and Heraklion International Airport on the Crete island, two bases that were at the forefront of the search mission in the past two days, a Xinhua staffer witnessed.

Since Friday, at least two C-130 type transport planes took off from the Greek Air Force base of Kastelli on the outskirts of Heraklion port city to participate in the search mission, an anonymous Greek Air Force officer confirmed.

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos has said in a statement that, if deemed necessary, its bases on the Crete island in the Mediterranean Sea could become available for allied forces participating in the ongoing operation.

Greek officials said so far their search missions have been confined within Greece's territory and some rescuers were on standby a few kilometers from the main search area in case Egyptian authorities would ask for more assistance when retrieving the debris.

Greece has also contributed an Airborne Early-Warning and Control System (AWACS) in the search.

According to the Greek Defense Ministry, a Greek submarine "Matrozos", which was taking part in a NATO exercise about 100 miles from the search area, would also become available to provide support to Egyptian authorities and its frigate "Nikiforos Fokas" has left the Greek island of Astypalaia to help. Enditem