June 1st, 2009
Brazil's air force are searching the Atlantic Ocean for an Air France jet with 228 people on board that has gone missing.
The aircraft would have run out of fuel by now, Jean-Louis Borloo, the second most senior figure in France's cabinet, said.
'By now it would be beyond its kerosene reserves so unfortunately we must now envisage the most tragic scenario,' he said.
Airline spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand said: 'Air France regrets to announce that it is without news from Air France flight 447 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.'
The flight was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members.
Brazil's air force said a search was under way near the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.
French radio were reporting that Air France has 'lost hope' of finding the missing jet.
The aircraft disappeared about 186 miles (300km) north east of the coastal Brazilian city of Natal and near Fernando de Noronha, he went on.
The flight was scheduled to arrive in Paris at 9.15am GMT, according to the airport.
An Air France-KLM spokeswoman in Amsterdam said there had been no radio contact with the missing plane 'for a while'.
'A breakdown of the transponder can happen but this kind of breakdown is very rare,' an airport source declared.
A UK airline safety expert said: 'It's almost unthinkable for a western European airline just to go missing like this.'
The plane was an Airbus 330-200, according to the Paris airports authority website.
Air France said relatives of people travelling on board flight AF 447 were being taken care of in a special area of Charles de Gaulle airport.
Source: Big Pond News
