First footage of Andreas Lubitz shows Germanwings co-pilot learning to fly

This video has been removed for copyright reasons

Newly-released footage shows Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz as a trainee pilot around ten years ago.

Lubitz - who is suspected of deliberately flying his plane into the French Alps in an apparent murder-suicide - is shown in the footage laughing and smiling as he takes off and lands solo during a short glider flight in Germany.

The pilot - who is believed to have been in his late teens when the recording was made - started his commercial pilot's training in 2007, aged 20.

He took a six-month medical break part-way through, but returned and later became a qualified pilot, taking a first officer role at Lufthansa in 2013 and amassing more than 600 flight hours.

Searches at his home after last week's disaster found several torn-up sick notes - including one relating to the day of the crash - saying he was unfit to work.

Prosecutors claimed it was likely he had hidden his illness "from his employer and his professional colleagues".