(CNN) -- A French passenger aircraft carrying 228 people has disappeared off the coast of Brazil, airline officials say.A file photo shows an Air France jet on take off. Some 228 passengers are aboard the missing aircraft.
Air France told CNN the jet was traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris when contact was lost.
The airline said flight AF447 was carrying 216 passengers in addition to a crew of 12. The plane is listed as an Airbus A330.
A crisis center is being set up at Charles de Gaulle where the plane had been due to land at 11.15 a.m. local time.
Reports said an air force search and rescue operation was underway around the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha, 365 kilometers (226 miles) off the mainland.
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The Airbus 330 is a twin-engine long-range aircraft introduced into commercial aviation in the 1990s. CNN air travel expert Richard Quest says the plane, a workhorse of trans-Atlantic routes, has an impeccable safety record.
"It has very good range, and is extremely popular with airlines because of its versatility," he said.
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