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Source: Reuters -
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A fourth body has reportedly been found at the scene of the Air New Zealand Airbus crash near Perpignan in France.
French newspaper L'Independant says divers found the body near the plane's wreckage. However, Air New Zealand says it has had no confirmation from French authorities.
It is believed formal identification of the bodies will not be completed until some time next week.
The families of the five New Zealanders who died are now beginning to make their way home.
Late last week, family members of the five New Zealanders killed remembered their loved ones on a French beach as the airline's staff worldwide observed a minute's silence.
More than 20 family and friends, and airline and government support teams, stood on Canet Beach in southwestern France, only a few hundred metres from where the aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean.
The families have begun to return to New Zealand due to uncertainty over when the bodies will be released, Air New Zealand chief executive officer Rob Fyfe says in a statement.
The first of the families left Perpignan on Friday and the last will leave on Monday.
"Each family has been going through its own grieving process as they come to terms with their tragic loss," Fyfe says.
"Many of the families have spent the past few days visiting the workplace and hotels where our men were based in Perpignan, meeting with friends and work colleagues who they interacted with while here, as well as seeing some of the sights they had heard about from their loved ones."
DNA tests required
DNA tests have been held on the first three bodies recovered from the crash, but it may take sometime before the results are released, he says.
The five New Zealanders who died were senior A320 pilot Captain Brian Horrell, 52, engineers Murray White, 37, Michael Gyles, 49, Noel Marsh, 35, and Civil Aviation Authority inspector Jeremy Cook, 58.
Fyfe says it will take some days for the bodies to be released once identification is complete.
It is an agonising wait for the families and friends involved, he says.
"Over the past couple of days it became clear to us all that the opportunity to bring our lost men home may be some time off as the French authorities continue with the painstaking recovery and body identification tasks."
Air New Zealand has "nothing but admiration" for the French authorities involved.
"The search and recovery team and investigators have done everything possible in this operation and we will forever be grateful.
"Their professionalism and attention to detail has been simply outstanding. Combine that with the incredible support and professionalism of the two New Zealand Police specialists and our Embassy staff and we could not have asked for more in this difficult time."
The aircraft had been leased to a German carrier, XL Airways and was being tested before returning to Air New Zealand.
"At this stage of the inquiry, nothing explains why the aircraft left its trajectory and crashed into the sea," said French officials in a statement.
Fyfe will return to New Zealand on Monday.
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