Madrid - The air crash that killed 154 people on August 20 at Madrid airport is expected to cause Spanair losses between 30 and 60 million euros (40 to 80 million dollars), Spanish press reports Thursday quoted sources of the airline as saying.

Ticket sales have dropped by about 8 per cent, reports said. Spanair human resources director Hector Sandoval said the carrier was working to regain the confidence of clients.

Spanair and its employees are currently in negotiations over a savings plan, tabled before the accident, which is to trim staff by a quarter to about 2,700 and the fleet by 14 planes.

A Spanair MD-82 jet crashed off the runway after take-off for reasons that remain unclear. Eighteen people survived the accident.

A funeral mass for the fatalities was scheduled to be held in the evening in the presence of King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. (dpa)