AirAsia releases information of passengers, crew onboard missing flight

AirAsia’s Airbus A320 plane is the world’s first Airbus with ‘sharklet’ wing tips. Photo from AirAsia Facebook page.

KUALA LUMPUR — AirAsia Indonesia released information about the 162 passengers and crew onboard Flight QZ8501, which has lost contact with the air traffic control Sunday morning.

There were two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer onboard the Airbus A320-200 aircraft with the registration number of PK-AXC, the Malaysia-based budget airline said in a statement.

The captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours, it added.

According to AirAsia, 155 passengers, including 138 adults, 16 children and 1 infant, were aboard.

It said the passengers and crew members include one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one French, three South Koreans, and 156 Indonesians.

Search and rescue operations were being conducted under the guidance of the Indonesia of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The aircraft, which was flying from Indonesia’s Surabaya to Singapore, 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), it said.

The plane had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on Nov. 16, it added.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the Malaysian government would assist AirAsia to help find fight the missing passenger plane.

“I haven’t received much information at this time and I can only confirm that the plane is missing,” he said.

“The government will help AirAsia to find the missing plane,” Najib told reporter in Lipis, Pahang.