Airbus Confirms Germanwings Crash
The aircraft that crashed in the French Alps was delivered to Lufthansa, the Germanwings parent company, in 1991.
Both Airbus and Germanwings GmbH, a low-cost airline based in Cologne and wholly owned by Lufthansa, have confirmed that an A320 aircraft operated by Germanwings crashed around 11:00 a.m. local time March 24 near Prads-Haute-Bléone in the French Alps. The aircraft was operating a scheduled service, Flight 4U 9525, from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf, Germany, when it went down.
Airbus' statement on the crash said the aircraft involved in the accident was delivered to Lufthansa from the production line in 1991 and had accumulated approximately 58,300 flight hours in some 46,700 flights. An Airbus go-team of technical advisors will be sent to the crash site to provide full assistance to the French aviation investigation agency, BEA, which is in charge of the investigation.
Germanwings' statement said the aircraft was carrying 144 passengers and six crew members when it crashed. "Everyone at Germanwings and Lufthansa is deeply shocked and saddened by these events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the passengers and crew members," the statement said.