ATHENS. A private plane belonging to embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi with unknown passengers aboard crossed Greek airspace en route to Egypt on Wednesday, a Greek defense ministry source said.
"A private plane of Gaddafi has crossed Greek airspace en route to Egypt," the ministry source said, adding: "We do not know who is on board."
A Greek air force source said the plane was a Libyan Airlines Falcon 900 that normally carries VIPs, though the pilot denied that dignitaries were on board.
"The pilot tabled a flight plan from Tripoli to Cairo," the air force source said, adding: "The plane crossed southwest of the island of Crete around an hour ago. It should be landing in Cairo by now."
Gaddafi on Tuesday had called Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, the Greek leader's office said. In the discussion, Papandreou had told Gaddafi to seek a peaceful resolution to the rebel uprising against his government.
The Libyan strongman, whose forces have hit back against rebels seeking his overthrow with air strikes that have killed civilians, is under a travel ban imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
The European Union last month placed a visa ban was against 16 people, including Gaddafi, members of his family "closely associated with the regime" and others "responsible for the violent crackdown on the civilian population".
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