Airbus will fund third search for Air France crash debris

Airbus is discussing a payment of between 12 to 20 million euros ($17-28 million) to help pay for a third search, but it is still too early to settle on a figure, company spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said.

"We are ready to give a significant share, whatever is needed," he told CNN.

The company is driven by the desire to understand what caused the crash of Air France Flight 447 on June 1, he said. All 228 people aboard were killed.

"Our priority is increasing aviation safety," Schaffrath said. "The aviation community can learn from an accident."

Airbus is already helping in the second search alongside Air France and the French accident investigations agency, the BEA.

French investigators began the second phase of their search for remnants of the flight Thursday, weeks after the locator beacons of the plane's flight recorders would have stopped working.