CANBERRA, March 25 -- Family and friends were comforting Danica Weeks after it was confirmed Tuesday the Malaysian Airlines flight carrying her New Zealand husband Paul Weeks has been lost in the Indian Ocean.

Danica Weeks is with the couple's two young sons in the family home in Perth's northern suburbs, about 15 minutes drive from RAAF Base Pearce, where planes looking for any signs of Flight MH370 have been taking off and landing over the past week.

Danica Weeks's mother, Kay Thompson, said her daughter was too distraught to talk about the official announcement that the plane had crashed.

"We have been waiting for two weeks and I guess everyone hoped for something better than this. But that is the way it is and we are all dreadfully sad," the Australian Associated Press (AAP) quoted Kay Thompson as saying.

Paul Weeks, a mechanical engineer, had boarded the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 on his way to start a new job in Mongolia. He was one of two New Zealanders on the flight. The family of Ximin Wang, 50, of Auckland, have asked for privacy.

In Brisbane, the son of an Australian couple who were aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight said memories of his parents' love will help his family deal with the tragedy.

Jayden Burrows read a family statement on Tuesday after Malaysian officials announced all 239 on board flight MH370, including his parents Rod and Mary Burrows, were believed dead in the southern Indian Ocean.

Jayden Burrows said his family was still trying to come to terms with the "terrible tragedy."

"We dearly love and will miss our mum and dad," the AAP quoted him as saying. "The love and compassion that they shared and their priority of putting their family first will help us get through this together. We're heartbroken this stage of their life has been cut short."

Jayden Burrows said his family was grateful for the support they'd received since the flight went missing more than two weeks ago.

The family was appreciative of the multi-national search effort and their thoughts and prayers were with other families braving the same ordeal, he said.

Rod and Mary Burrows were holidaying with their friends, Australian couple Bob and Cathy Lawton, when they boarded the Malaysia Airlines flight.