The Greek authorities have suspended their search in snow-bound northern Greece for a Ukrainian airliner with 70 people on board, heightening the anxiety of relatives and friends waiting at Salonica airport.

The authorities had concentrated the hunt on mountains 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Salonica where the Yakovlev-42 jet had been preparing to land on Wednesday evening before it disappeared from radar screens.

Some of the dozens of Greeks who gathered at the airport became angry when they were told the search was called off for the night, Greek television showed. "That's all you have to tell us," one woman said.

A passenger list released in Kiev by Aerosweet, the firm which chartered the plane, put the number of crew at eight and the number of passengers at 62 - six children, 16 women and 40 men.

It said the plane had been carrying 34 Greeks who work in the Ukraine and were heading home for Christmas on a flight from Kiev. Also on board were 25 Ukrainians, two Poles, a German and the eight crew.

"It's tragic for us," said Melina Emfietzoglou, the Director of the Salonica State Construction Company which employed 23 of the passengers when she was interviewed on Greek television.

"These are the children of the company, our men. They were coming to spend the Christmas holidays with their families. I still have hope," she said.

The Greek Prime Minister, Costas Simitis expressed his "sadness" and "solidarity" with the relatives of the passengers.

"Every possible means has been used to find the plane. Unfortunately, we have found nothing," Simitis said.

What happened to the ill fated aeroplane?

The following is the timetable of exchanges leading up to the aircraft's disappearance, as supplied by the Greek Minister of Transportation, Tasos Mandelis.

8:40 p.m. - The Yak-42 entered Greek airspace and the captain of the plane received permission from the control tower to land.

8:55 p.m. - Pilot approached runway too high and aborted the landing. The pilot again asks and receives permission to land.

8:59 p.m. - Pilot reports he was flying 10 nautical miles (18.5 statute km) northeast of airport at an altitude of 3,500ft (1,066m). The control tower orders the plane to 6,000ft (1,828m) and asks for new location once altitude is reached.

9:09 p.m. - Pilot tells control tower he has reached 6,000ft (1,828m) and notifies the tower that he is beginning descent for another landing attempt. Pilot asks for help from the control tower on verifying plane's location.

9:10 p.m. - Pilot reports he is 28 miles (45 km) from airport, but did not say in which compass direction. Pilot then reports everything is fine and says aircraft is at 3,500ft (1,066m).

9:13 p.m. - Pilot tells control tower he is moving into landing position and will radio for permission to land once he has finished descent. This is the plane's last contact with the control tower.

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