An Air France spokesman confirmed this afternoon that the airline received a hoax bomb threat for a flight from Argentina to Paris on May 27th.

But France's Defence Minister said there was no evidence that terrorism was behind the disappearance of a plane that left Brazil on Sunday night.

Brazilian and French navy ships have been trying to recover the wreckage of the Airbus A330, 400 miles off the coast of Brazil.

228 people were onboard, including three young Irish women and two Aer Lingus staff.