Air Algérie Flight AH5017 Crashes in Niger, Officials Confirm
A former private jet model once used by Spanish football giants Real Madrid has crashed in Niger, an Algerian official told Reuters on Thursday.
The aircraft in question—Air Algérie flight AH5017—lost contact with air traffic control shortly after takeoff from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Bound for Algiers, the plane vanished from radar 50 minutes into the scheduled four-hour flight.
The plane was carrying 116 people on board, including 110 passengers and six crew members—two pilots and four flight attendants.
The aircraft was operated by Spanish charter company Swiftair, and though early reports linked it to Real Madrid due to its model type, sources later clarified that the football club had previously used a similar plane, not this particular one.
Emergency services and international aviation authorities are coordinating efforts to investigate the crash site and determine the cause of the disaster.
More updates are expected as search and recovery operations continue in the region.
