Copenhagen  - SAS Group chief executive Mats Jansson described the plane crash that killed over 140 people in Madrid Wednesday as "deeply tragic" and expressed his sympathy for the victims.

The Spanair flight from Madrid-Barajas airport veered off the runway during takeoff and crashed. Of the 164 passengers and nine crew members on board, only 26 are believed to have survived.

Spanair is owned by Scandinavian parent company SAS.

Jansson was speaking late Wednesday at a news conference in Copenhagen. He was then heading to Madrid along with SAS Group deputy CEO John Dueholm.

Spanair has also assembled a team of specially trained people to "provide support and assistance at the scene," SAS said in a statement.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry said it has information that two Swedish nationals were on the flight, but Spanair has not released names. (dpa)