All five New Zealanders who died in an Airbus crash off the coast of France this morning have now been named.
Civil Aviation Authority airworthiness inspector Jeremy Cook and Air New Zealand’s Noel Marsh, 35, an engineer based in Christchurch were the final two victims to be named.
The other victims are Captain Brian Horrell, 52, from Auckland, engineer Murray White, 37, also from Auckland and 49-year-old Michael Gyles, an engineer from Christchurch.
Prime Minister John Key said, with great sadness, the Government would assist the families and those affected in the tragedy in any way it could.
“On behalf of all New Zealanders I would like to express my sincere condolences to the friends, families and colleagues of the five New Zealanders now feared dead in the crash,” Mr Key said.
The plane carrying the five men and two German pilots crashed in the Mediterranean near Perpignan after taking off from the city for Frankfurt early this morning.
At least one body has been recovered from the scene of the crash.
The search by naval ships is continuing overnight French time though aerial searches have been temporarily halted.
Conditions are difficult with 30 knot winds and rain and the sea temperature is only about 13C.
Air NZ CEO Rob Fyfe said in an update at 3pm this afternoon that one of the families had said they wanted to travel to the scene while the others were still to make a decision.
He said Air New Zealand would “spare no expense” to meet whatever the families wanted.
Witness reports suggested the aircraft was low in the sky when the accident happened, he said.
At a briefing for Air NZ staff at their Auckland headquarters this afternoon there were tears and people expressed great concern at what had happened.
Mr Fyfe, who earlier said he was hopeful of there being survivors, added: “We have conveyed to the families that while we hold out hope and we will keep hoping, the search and rescue teams in France are not hopeful of finding any survivors.”
Mr Fyfe said he had spoken to the partners of each of the missing men.
“This is an unbelievably difficult time for the families of those who are missing. I conveyed to them my deepest sympathies and those of all Air New Zealanders as we await further information on their loved ones,” he said.
“I was also able to re-assure them that Air New Zealand is receiving the full support of the New Zealand Government and the Search and Rescue authorities in France and we are confident that everything is being done to locate those still
Local officials have said there is no hope of survivors from the crash but Mr Fyfe told media today he was hopeful some of those on board would be found alive.
“I’m hopeful there might still be survivors,” he told a media conference at 10.30am.
Mr Fyfe said rescue teams had found debris and pieces of the aircraft floating on the surface of the water which could indicate survivors may yet be in the sea.
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