The following statement was released by AirAsia Airlines:
AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24hrs this morning,” the airline said in a statement.
There are 162 people aboard the Airbus A320-200, Hadi Mustofa, an official of the transportation ministry told Indonesia’s MetroTV, according to The Associated Press.
“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 airline said.
“At this time, search and rescue operations are in progress and AirAsia is cooperating fully and assisting the rescue service,” the statement said.
The Airbus 320-200 can carry up to 246 passengers, according to the company’s website.
