The Government has offered its condolences as Air New Zealand comes to terms with the loss of one of its planes and a number of its employees.
Up to five New Zealanders are believed to have been on board the Airbus A320 that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during a test flight near Perpignan on Friday morning.
Prime Minister John Key says it is a tragic time for the airline, and more especially for the families of those employees who may have been killed.
His office says they are in touch with Air New Zealand and the Civil Aviation Authority and are still collecting information about the accident.
A spokesman for Key says he will hold a press conference on Friday afternoon in Wellington to talk about the accident.
"This is obviously a tragic situation for the families of the people killed and also for the airline. We are in touch with Air New Zealand and the Civil Aviation Authority," a spokesperson says.
Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe reiterated in a press conference that the government had offered its support and condolences over the accident.
"I've spoken with the Prime Minister John Key who has offered us the full support of the Government and any of the resources we want to draw on over the next few days as we try to establish exactly what has happened," he says.
Fyfe also said during the press conference that he has had numerous calls offering support.
One Air New Zealand pilot, three engineers and a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) inspector staff member were among the seven people on board the aircraft, which crashed off France.
The mood at Air New Zealand and CAA headquarters in Wellington was sombre on Friday morning, as staff waited for news from France.
The Airbus A320 was being operated by German company, XL Air, which had leased the plane for two years.
In a media statement, Airbus says it will co-operate fully with investigations into the tragedy and is sending its sympathy to the families of those who have died.
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