According to the CNN, Brazil launched two air force squadrons to hunt for the wreckage near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha in the Atlantic Ocean, 365 kilometers (226 miles) from its coast, although the plane vanished outside the country's radar coverage.

The passengers on board the flight inluded two Americans, an Argentinean, an Austrian, a Belgian, 58 Brazilians, five British, a Canadian, nine Chinese, a Croatian, a Dane, a Dutch, an Estonian, a Filipino, 61 French, a Gambian, 26 Germans, four Hungarians, three Irish, one Icelandic, nine Italians, five Lebanese, two Moroccans, three Norwegians, two Polish, one Romanian, one Russian, three Slovakian, two Spanish, one Swedish, six Swiss and one Turk, said the CNN.

A crisis centre has been set up at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris to deal with anxious relatives and friends waiting for news of passengers. Air France has also set up a hotline: 0800 800 812 in France, or +33 157021055 for international callers.

The Airbus A330 was closer to Brazil than to Africa when it crashed, authorities told CNN.

There were 12 flight crew members: 3 pilots and 9 flight attendants. The flight captain had a record of 11,000 flight hours and had already flown 1,700 hours on Airbus A330/A340s. Of the two first officers, one had flown 3,000 flight hours (800 of which on the Airbus A330/A340) and the other 6,600 (2,600 on the Airbus A330/A340).

The ill fated twin-engined, long haul A330-200 jet was delivered to Air France in 2005 and has racked up around 18,800 flying hours on some 2,500 flights since.

According to the Brazilian Air Force, the pilot saw 'orange-coloured spots' while crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

The French government has sent ships and planes to the area where the crash is suspected to have taken place

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva talked to Sarkozy and France and Brazil are carrying out search operations together.