An Airbus operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline crashed in a remote area of southern France on Tuesday and all 148 on board were feared dead.
The Airbus A320 was carrying 142 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew, aviation officials said.
French President Francois Hollande said there were likely no survivors in the crash. "There were 148 people on board," Hollande said. "The conditions of the accident, which have not yet been clarified, lead us to think there are no survivors."
Hollande said there was likely to be a significant number of German victims, and added: "The accident happened in a zone that is particularly hard to access."
He posted a message on Twitter saying: "I would like to express my full solidarity with the families of the victims of this aerial accident. It's a loss, a tragedy."
The Elysee Palace said Hollande was consulting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish King Felipe VI.
"We have recently become aware of media reports speculating on an incident though we still do not have any own confirmed information," Germanwings wrote on Twitter. "As soon as definite information is available, we shall inform the media immediately."
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told reporters that the cause of the crash was still unknown.
A spokesman for the DGAC aviation authority said the airplane crashed near the town of Barcelonnette about 100 km (65 miles) north of the French Riviera city of Nice.
Lufthansa's Germanwings unit said it was as yet unable to verify reports of the crash.
The crashed A320 is 24 years old and has been with the parent Lufthansa group since 1991, according to online database airfleets.net Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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