Lufthansa official: Germanwings crash is the 'darkest chapter in the history of our airline'

The CEOs of Germanwings and Lufthansa, its parent company, held a news conference on Thursday in Cologne, Germany. The conference came after a French official announced Thursday that the co-pilot of Tuesday's doomed flight had deliberately crashed the plane.

Lufthansa's chief executive, Carsten Spohr, said that the company was "stunned" about the news regarding the co-pilot. However, Spohr added that there is no reason to believe the crash was an act of terrorism.

"The only thing I can say here is that this is the worst possible moment, the darkest chapter in the history of our airline," Spohr said. "This is a totally tragic case, we hope it's one of a kind and never happens again. Our hearts go out the relatives and friends of the victims."

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The officials also stressed that Lufthansa and Germanwings have "full confidence" in their pilots. "We choose our staff very, very carefully," Spohr said. He also announced that the airline will provide financial assistance to the families of the victims.