Search Area For Missing Flight To Be Expanded Tuesday

From Mohd Faizal Hassan SURABAYA, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- The search area for the missing AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501 will be expanded Tuesday after the search and rescue mission (SAR) failed to locate the missing aircraft after 40 hours since it lost contact with the Jakarta Air Traffic Control, at 7.24am on Sunday morning. Juanda International Airport general manager Trikora Harjo said the SAR headed by Indonesia with the assistance of Malaysia and Singapore in the Java Sea, near Pulau Belitung, was called off late Monday night. "I was informed that 24 ships and a number of aircrafts from the air force of three countries have joined the search mission," he told reporters, here Monday night. Harjo in denying there were oil spills found, said there was no information or lead on the missing flight, or any objects or the flight's Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) found. Meanwhile, PT AirAsia Indonesia's President Sunu Widiatmoko who also attended the press conference said facilities for families of the passengers who are at the airport would be enhanced to ensure their comfort while waiting for information about their loved ones. Flight QZ8501 vanished from the radar screens on Sunday morning with 162 people on board, including seven crew, over the Java Sea about 40 minutes after taking off from Surabaya to Singapore. The Airbus A320-200 aircraft had reportedly requested to deviate from its original flight path to avoid thick clouds and rise to a height of 38,000 feet from the initial height of 32,000 feet. "The families have agreed to continue staying at hotels near the airport," he said. A visit by Bernama to the Crisis Centre situated at the Terminal 2 of the Airport, revealed family members of the missing passengers in a state of uneasiness and very emotional as they waited eagerly for news of their missing loved ones. One of them known as Abang Solo, said he and his family members would stay put at the airport because it was where they last boarded the flight. Those on board the missing flight comprise 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, a Singaporean, a Malaysian, a Briton and a French. -- BERNAMA