Germanwings flight 4U9525 crashes in French Alps (updated)

Lufthansa’s subsidiary Germanwings has confirmed that flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Düsseldorf has suffered an accident over the French Alps.

Update 3:

Following the incident in France yesterday, Germanwings cancelled one flight today and is operating the remaining flights according to schedule. Due to emotional distress, some crew members are also unfit for service today.

Today, Germanwings operates eleven aircraft, predominantly from other airlines like Lufthansa, Air Berlin and TuiFly on approximately 40 flights.

End of update

Update 2: 

Following the tragic accident on Tuesday, Germanwings reported occasional flight disruptions within its route network. This is due to crew members, who decided not to operate aircraft following the reports on the accident of a Germanwings aircraft with 144 passengers and six crew members onboard.

“We understand their decision”, says Thomas Winkelmann, Management Spokesperson of Germanwings. Some flight had to be cancelled.

End of update

Update 1:

In accordance with the provisions of European Regulation 996/2010 the BEA has initiated a Safety Investigation.

According to information from the airline, there were 144 passengers and 6 crew members on board.

Seven investigators from the BEA, accompanied by technical advisers from Airbus and CFM International, are travelling to the accident site. They will be joined by a team of three investigators from the BFU (Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung) the BEA’s German counterpart.

A press conference will be organised at the BEA tomorrow, Wednesday 25 March, from 16h to 16h45.

End of update

Flight 4U9525 departed Barcelona, Spain at 10:01 local time on a regular passenger service to Düsseldorf, Germany.

The aircraft involved in the accident, registered under D-AIPX was MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 147 delivered to Lufthansa from the production line in 1991. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 58,300 flight hours in some 46,700 flights. It was powered by CFM 56-5A1 engines.

Lufthansa CEO, Mr. Carsten Spohr said in a statement:

“We do not know exactly what happened to Flight 4U 9525. Our thoughts are now with all the relatives and friends of our passengers and crew. We will do everything possible in order to provide further information.”

According to several sources, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cancelled all her upcoming appointments and she has already spoken via telephone with French President Francois Hollande and Spanish leader Mariano Rajoy.

Just hours into his state visit to France, Spain’s King Felipe VI said he is cancelling his trip to return to Spain. Felipe VI was due to address France’s National Assembly tomorrow.

 

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