A missing AirAsia jet carrying 162 people could be at the bottom of the sea after it was presumed to have crashed off the Indonesian coast, an official said on Monday, as countries around Asia sent ships and planes to help in the search effort.
The Indonesia AirAsia plane, an Airbus A320-200, disappeared after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore on Sunday.
Flight QZ8501 did not issue a distress signal and disappeared five minutes after requesting a change of course on Sunday, said government and transport officials.
Air Force spokesman Hadi Thahjanto said two C-130 Hercules planes were focusing their search efforts in areas northeast of Indonesia's Bangka island, which lies roughly halfway between Surabaya and Singapore, in the Java Sea.
On Sunday, AirAsia flight had lost contact with air traffic control. In a statement AirAsia said, " There were 155 passengers on board, with 138 adults, 16 children and 1 infant. Also on board were 2 pilots and 5 cabin crew."
Latest Updates:
Indonesia ministry has released a list of all passengers on board
Monday
16:43 IST Monday, 29 December 2014
Indonesian Vice President Jasuf Kalla has clarified that objects spotted during the sea search are not from the missing plane AirAsia QZ8501. He said that 15 ships and 30 planes are currently searching for the missing aircraft. But he mentioned that it is not an easy search with prevailing hostile weather situation.
13:33 IST Monday, 29 December 2014
According to media reports, an Australian plane has spotted some objects in the sea in the AirAsia search area. The objects were reportedly detected near Nangka island, about 700 miles (1,120 kilometers) from the location where the plane lost contact.
11:02 IST Monday, 29 December 2014
Allianz is lead reinsurer to missing AirAsia plane
German insurer Allianz is the lead re-insurer, through one of its divisions, to the AirAsia plane that went missing. "We can confirm that Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty UK (AGCS) is the lead reinsurer for AirAsia, for aviation hull and liability insurance," an Allianz spokeswoman said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
AGCS is also the lead liability insurer for Malaysian Airlines, which lost two aircrafts earlier this year, one of which shot down while flying over Ukraine. The other has not been found.
8:46 IST Monday, 29 December 2014
AirAsia plane believed to have crashed in sea
An AirAsia plane is believed to have crashed into the sea, a senior Indonesian rescue agency official said on Monday.
Indonesia was searching the Java Sea on Monday for the AirAsia plane that went missing on Sunday during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. "Based on our coordinate estimation, initial estimation is in the water," Soelistyo, head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency, said of the missing plane's likely location. "It can be expanded based on evaluation," he told reporters on Monday.
8:20 IST Monday, 29 December 2014
AirAsia shares fall 11%
Shares in AirAsia fell 11.6% after its aircraft - QZ8501 - went missing in bad weather. Shares fell at the start of trade on Monday, after Indonesia resumed its search for the missing jetliner QZ8501 at first light on Monday.
AirAsia fell as much as 12.9% to 2.56 ringgit at 0102 GMT, its lowest point since November 28. The stock has gained 21.4% since the beginning of the year.
7:45 IST Monday, 29 December 2014
Search resumes
Indonesia searched the Java Sea on Monday for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing after its pilot failed to gain permission to alter course to avoid a storm cell during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.
Flight QZ8501 did not issue a distress signal and disappeared five minutes after requesting a change of course on Sunday, said government and transport officials.
7:30 IST Monday, 29 December 2014
Worst Nightmare, says Malaysia AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes
Malaysia AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes flew to Surabaya and, along with Indonesian officials, updated distraught relatives of passengers at a makeshift crisis centre at the airport in Indonesia's second-largest city. "This is my worst nightmare," Fernandes said on Twitter. "But there's no stopping", he said of the search.
Sunday - Previous updates
17:50 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
Indonesia suspends search for missing plane as night falls
Indonesia halted the search for a mising AirAsia plane as darkness fell on Sunday. Tatang Zaenuddin of the National Search and Rescue agency told Reuters the search operation would resume at 6 am on Monday. Read more
16:21 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
India puts 3 ships, plane on standby
India has put on standby three ships and a maritime surveillance aircraft for assistance in the search operation after an AirAsia flight with 162 people on board today went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore after losing contact with air traffic controllers. Indian Navy sources said one ship in Bay of Bengal and another two in Andaman Sea have been put on standby. Along with these, a P-8I aircraft has also been put on standby. The aircraft is used for maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare operations. Read more
15:00 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes on his way to Surabaya
Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted, "On my way to Surabaya where most of the passangers are from as with my Indonesian management. Providing information as we get it."
He further tweeted, "My only thought are with the passangers and my crew. We put our hope in the SAR operation and thank the Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysian governments."
13:45 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
People related to passengers at Changi Airport
People related to passengers of AirAsia flight QZ 8501 arrive at a holding area for next-of-kins and relatives at Changi Airport in Singapore.
An Indonesian woman at Singapore's Changi Airport said her sister and other family members, including two children, were on board. "No one has told us anything. We heard the news and came to the airport," the woman said before entering a cordoned-off area.
12:34 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
Malaysia to help in search of AirAsia flight, says PM Najib Razak
Malaysia on Sunday offered help in the search of missing AirAsia flight which lost contact with air traffic controllers between Singapore and Indonesia this morning.
Prime Minister Datuk Najib Razak said he had not been fully briefed on the aircraft's disappearance, but acknowledged that the country may be facing its third aviation disaster in the year, after the loss of two Malaysia Airlines aircraft in March and July. Read more
11:49 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
AirAsia issues fresh statement
The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC. There were two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer on board.
The captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours
There were 155 passengers on board, with 138 adults, 16 children and 1 infant. Also on board were 2 pilots and 5 cabin crew.
Nationalities of passengers and crew onboard are as below:
1 Singapore | 1 Malaysia | 1 France | 3 South Korean | 156 Indonesia
At this time, search and rescue operations are being conducted under the guidance of The Indonesia of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). AirAsia Indonesia is cooperating fully and assisting the investigation in every possible way. The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to enroute weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control (ATC). The aircraft had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on 16 November 2014.
12:35 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes has asked his company to stay strong.
"Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We must stay strong," tweeted Fernandes, an ethnic Indian, who set up the budget airlines which now flies to several countries.
11:25 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
Indonesian media reports say an aircraft crashed east of Belitungs Island
According to Indonesian media an aircraft crashed east of Belitungs Island. However there is no confirmation on it. Search planes are on the way to the last known position of Air Asia. Indonesian Air Force has dispatched a 737-200MPA to search for #QZ8501.
11:15 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
Singapore activates air force, navy for search for missing jet
Singapore said on Sunday it has activated its air force and navy to help in the search and rescue operation for the AirAsia jet that went missing on a flight from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore. "Two C130s are already on stand-by for this purpose. We remain ready to provide any assistance to support the search and rescue effort," the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said in a statement.
A waiting area, and facilities and support have been set up for relatives at Changi Airport Terminal 2, it said.
11:11 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
Lost airasia flight went missing between tanjung pandan and pontianak
An Indonesia AirAsia flight went missing on Sunday about half way between its origin of Surabaya in Indonesia and its destination of Singapore, an Indonesian transport official said.
The aircraft was between the Indonesian port of Tanjung Pandan and the town of Pontianak, in West Kalimantan on Borneo island, when it went missing, Joko Muryo Atmodjo, air transportation director at the Transport Ministry, told a news conference. The aircraft had been flying at 32,000 feet and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet to avoid clouds, he said.
This is an estimated position of #QZ8501 at 23:18 UTC when AirNav Indonesia say they lost radar contact
10:00 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
The Airbus 320-200 had 155 passengers and crew on board consisting of 149 Indonesians, 3 Koreans 1 Singaporean, 1 Briton and one Malaysian passenger on Board.
9:35 IST Sunday, 28 December 2014
AirAsia confirms on Facebook page
In a statement issued by AirAsia on their Facebook page airlines said, " AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24hrs this morning. At the present time we unfortunately have no further information regarding the status of the passengers and crew members on board, but we will keep all parties informed as more information becomes available."
The statement further added, " The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC. At this time, search and rescue operations are in progress and AirAsia is cooperating fully and assisting the rescue service. AirAsia has established an Emergency Call Centre that is available for family or friends of those who may have been on board the aircraft. The number is: +622129850801."
The flight had been due in Singapore at 8:30 am Singapore time (0030 GMT). The Singapore airport said on its website the status of the flight was "delayed".
The incident comes at the end of a disastrous year for Malaysia's airlines.
National flag carrier Malaysia Airlines lost two aircraft this year.
Its flight MH370 went missing on March 8 on a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.
On July 17, Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
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