Full coverage: EgyptAir Flight MS804 Missing

The Egyptair plane crash could also deal a blow to the country's already struggling tourism industry.

Tourism was one of Egypt's pillar industries, and at its height accounted for 12 percent of the country's GDP. But the tourism sector has been struggling to rebound after the political and economic upheaval that began in 2011.

In the first quarter of 2016, just 1.2 million tourists travelled to Egypt, down from 2.2 million a year earlier. Before last Thursday's crash, tourism officials in the country said Egypt was aiming to attract 12 million tourists by the end of 2017, by increasing the international presence of national carrier EgyptAir.