Transportation Ministry to Trace Missing AirAsia

Gresik, E Java (Antara) - The Indonesian transportation ministry has coordinated with airport authorities, airline and rescue teams to trace AirAsia plane flight QZ 8501 which is missing when flying from Surabaya (East Java province) to Singapore. "We have cooperated with airport authorities, airline and rescue team to trace missing AirAsia," The head of public communications for the Ministry of Transportation, JA Barata said here on Sunday. Barata remarked that the AirAsia Airbus A320-200 was with 161 people aboard, including 155 passengers consisting of 138 adults, 16 children, and 1 infant. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Iriyanto and First Officer (FO) Remi Emmanuel Plesel, and crew members consisting of Wanti Setiawati, Khairunnisa Haidar Fauzi, Oscar Desano, Wismoyo Ari Prambudi, and technician Saiful Rakhmad. "We still coordinate and contact the relevant parties," he stated. Earlier, AirAsia Indonesia is coordinating search and rescue operations with a number of related parties to determine the condition and status of passengers and crew members of AirAsia plane flight QZ 8501 which is missing when flying from Surabaya (East Java province) to Singapore. "We are sorry to confirm this event and we coordinate with relevant parties," Communication officer of AirAsia Indonesia Malinda Yasmin said in a press release received by Antara here on Sunday. An AirAsia plane flight QZ 8501 heading from Surabaya (East Java province) to Singapore has lost contact at 7:24 a.m Singapore time. "We will not stop to provide the latest information," she remarked. The Air Asia plane flight QZ 8501 departed from Surabaya's Juanda airport at around 05:20 Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB). "Currently, the Search and Rescue Agency (SAR) has operated and AirAsia has cooperated with the relevant parties," she noted. Families and relatives of the passengers can call Emergency Call Centre of AirAsia at +622129270811, and the latest information can be found on the official website of AirAsia, www.airasia.com. (*)