21:49 Spain's King Felipe ends visit to France

Spain's King Felipe VI, on a state visit to France, said he was cancelling the rest of his trip due to the crash of the Germanwings plane.

Forty-five of the passengers are believed to be Spanish, according to Spain's deputy prime minister.

Spain's King Felipe VI, left, and Queen Letizia of Spain, walk on the red carpet to meet French President Francois Hollande upon their arrival at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, March 24, 2015. [Photo/Reuters]

21:36 Barcelona's airport settles relatives
Spanish Airports and Air Navigation, the air transportation agency for Spain's government, tweeted that an area in Barcelona's airport is being set aside "for the relatives of the victims of the plane accident in France."

21:30 Video: French President delivers speech

21:25 Crashed plane near end of service
The plane that crashed was called "Mannheim" and made its first test flight in November 1990. It was then purchased by Lufthansa and had its first commercial flight in February 1991.

Experts said the aircraft would have been nearing the end of its commercial life after more than 24 years of service.

21:20 Germany's Merkel 'deeply shaken'
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement that she was "deeply shaken" by news of Germanwings plane crash in France, Reuters reported.

21:11 Malaysia Airlines pays tributes
"Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of those onboard Flight 4U9525. We are with you,@germanwings. #staystrong," Malaysia Airlines posted on Twitter.

21:05 Most deadly crash in France
Tuesday's crash is believed to be France's most deadly since Dec 1, 1981, when a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81 crashed in Corsica, killing 180 people, The Daily Telegraph reported.