AirAsia flight QZ8501 disappeared

AirAsia flight QZ8501 bound for Singapore lost contact with air traffic control half-way into its flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya. The flight lost contact with air traffic controllers in Indonesia Sunday morning after the pilot requested a course change reporting bad weather.

It disappeared at 7:24 a.m. Sunday, local time, about 42 minutes into its flight and nearly halfway to its destination. The jet was carrying 162 passengers and crew on board. Most of the passengers were Indonesian but several were from other countries such as United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.

Djoko Murjatmodjo, Indonesia's acting director general of transportation, said the pilot of the Airbus A320-200 "asked to avoid clouds by turning left and going higher to 34,000 feet".

Search and rescue operations for the missing AirAsia plane continue after finding no trace on Sunday.

soruced:traveldailynews.asia