Manila - A twin-engine plane with seven people on board went missing on Thursday in the northern Philippines, a senior aviation official said.

Ruben Ciron, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said the missing Islander aircraft came from Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province, 330 kilometres north of Manila.

Ciron said the plane was bound for the nearby town of Maconacon, just a 35-minute flight away, but it did not reach its destination.

He said authorities have checked with nearby airports to see if the plane made an emergency landing, but the queries yielded negative results.

Ciron said air and ground search and rescue teams have been dispatched to locate the missing plane. (dpa)