A320 Accident Update

An important step in bringing closure for the families of the men lost in the A320 accident in France in November will take place this week.

French authorities will convene an Identification Commission on Tuesday this week (French time) to formally confirm the identities of those recovered from the accident site off the coast of Perpignan. Once the Identification Commission meeting is concluded, the human remains are expected to be released to families within two days.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe will travel to Perpignan tomorrow evening with representatives of some of the families to bring the remains home. He will also be accompanied by General Manager Airline Operations Captain David Morgan, who will join him in meetings with French authorities investigating the cause of the accident and with aircraft manufacturer Airbus, which has representatives assisting the investigation.

Naturally, this is going to be an extremely difficult week for the families and friends of our lost men and we ask that media continue to respect the request of the families for privacy.