Singapore dollar hits all-time high against Malaysian ringgit

Singapore dollar hits all-time high against Malaysian ringgit
By Tang See Kit  Posted 24 Feb 2017 16:57 Updated 24 Feb 2017 17:23
A money changer counts Malaysian ringgit bank notes while customers wait at a foreign exchange booth. (AFP/TENGKU BAHAR)

SINGAPORE: The Singapore dollar hovered at an all-time high against the Malaysian ringgit on Friday (Feb 24), peaking at 3.1687 earlier in the day before easing back to 3.1643 in afternoon trade.

An outperformance of the Singapore currency, rather than a weakening in the ringgit, was behind the movements in the SGD/MYR, analysts told Channel NewsAsia.

Alongside broad-based strength in other Asian currencies such as the South Korean won and the Taiwan dollar, the Sing dollar edged up as overnight comments from US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin pulled down the US dollar.

Speaking to CNBC in his first televised interview since taking office, Mnuchin said he wanted to see tax reform passed before Congress' August recess, but later acknowledged on Fox Business Network that such a timeline was "very aggressive”. US president Donald Trump previously said he would announce a "phenomenal" plan by early March to cut business taxes.

“Overnight comments from Mnuchin seem to suggest that the tax reforms will only be read in August. If that’s the case, dollar strength will only come later,” said Mr Christopher Wong, senior FX strategist for Maybank.

“Even on Trump’s point of declaring China as a currency manipulator, Mnuchin said there’s no plan to do that so there seems to be a contradiction in there,” Mr Wong added. “This sets the stage for Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress on Feb 28, which markets will be keeping an eye on for more details of his tax reform and infrastructure plans.”

Little clarity on the US president’s proposed fiscal stimulus has reined in the US dollar's rally since the start of the year, allowing Asian currencies to take a slight breather.

On Friday, even a below-par industrial production report failed to dampen the spirits of the Sing dollar, which was last seen at 1.4050 per US dollar in afternoon trade. Earlier in the day, the local dollar hit 1.4091 against the greenback, its highest since Nov 10.

“The outperformance of the Sing dollar occurred way before the data release but even that had little impact. Simply because the big swing this month in industrial production was due to the biomedical manufacturing, which is typically quite volatile,” Mr Wong said.

Amid expectations of further bouts of US dollar weakness, analysts expect the Sing dollar to continue outperforming.

“The narrative surrounding Trump and his agenda is fraying and that’s causing these movements. With a little bit of recovery in risk sentiment given the push back in moves that could inflate trade tensions, we see low-yielding currencies like the Sing dollar doing better,” said Mr Julian Wee, senior markets strategist for Asia at National Australia Bank.

On the other hand, the Malaysian ringgit will likely continue to underperform most of its Asian counterparts.

One reason for that is Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) lack of adequate foreign exchange reserves to “smooth out the depreciation” of the currency amid a strong dollar environment, Mr Wee noted.

- CNA/sk


- wong chee tat :)

No sign of QZ8501 off Belitung Island: Fishermen

No sign of QZ8501 off Belitung Island: Fishermen

After spending more than six hours out at the sea off Belitung Island, fishermen and officials on Monday (Dec 29) said no debris from the missing jet QZ 8501 has been found.

MANGGAR, East Belitung: After spending more than six hours out at the sea off Belitung Island, fishermen and officials on Monday (Dec 29) said no debris from the missing jet QZ 8501 has been found.

At around 9am (local time), four boats with approximately 15 crew members each on board set off for Pulau Momparang and Pulau Lung in search of possible wreckage from the missing jet. It takes at least two hours to travel there from Manggar, East Belitung, officials said.

One fisherman told Channel NewsAsia he had combed the waters around Pulau Nangka and Pulau Pesumut on Monday but found nothing. He returned with other fishermen at around 4pm.

A sea captain from the search and rescue team at the Manggar base added that the weather was calm during the search.

Chief commander of the Manggar navy base Mr Purwanto said search efforts will continue on Tuesday, and could start as early as 7am, depending on the information from air officials.

- CNA/dl


- wong chee tat :)

Malaysian transport minister defends airworthiness of QZ8501

Malaysian transport minister defends airworthiness of QZ8501

Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai downplayed concerns over the safety record of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai on Monday (Dec 29) defended the airworthiness of the missing flight QZ8501, operated by AirAsia Indonesia.

The aircraft manufacturer Airbus said the plane had averaged more than six flights a day since it began service in 2008. The six-year-old Airbus A320 plane had been described as hardworking by its manufacturer. It had recorded 23,000 flight hours since it began service.

But Mr Liow was not alarmed and downplayed concerns over the flight safety record of the country's airlines.

"I can see its airworthiness is good, we are confident they have all capabilities to face any storm,” he said.

It has been a rough year for the airline industry in Malaysia. The flag carrier Malaysia Airlines lost two planes earlier this year. MH370 went missing in March en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board. Later in July, MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board.

But budget carrier AirAsia, including its affiliates, never had a fatal crash since it began operations in 2002. It said Irwianto, the pilot in command of QZ8501, is no rookie, with a total of over 20,000 flying hours.

Still, investor confidence was shaken, sending the company's share price tumbling more than 12 per cent at one point on Monday.

Malaysia has sent three vessels and three aircraft to help comb an area of 11,000 square nautical miles in east Belitung. Indonesia is in charge of the search operation.

- CNA/xq

- wong chee tat :)

Captain Iriyanto: Pilot of AirAsia flight QZ8501

Captain Iriyanto: Pilot of AirAsia flight QZ8501

INDONESIA: AirAsia flight QZ8501, which went missing en-route from Indonesia to Singapore, was piloted by Captain Iriyanto, an Indonesian, while First Officer Emmanuel Remi Plesel was a French citizen.

Experts have suggested that the plane, with 162 on board, may have been brought down by bad weather. The weather along the route was considered "quite bad" when contact with the plane was lost at 6.24am (Indonesia time). Just before contact was lost, Capt Iriyanto had also requested permission from Air Traffic Control to alter its route and climb to 38,000 feet so as to avoid clouds.

FORMER F-5 TIGER PILOT

Capt Iriyanto is an experienced pilot. AirAsia Indonesia's communications manager Malinda Yasmin said Capt Iriyanto had logged 20,537 hours of flight time; 6,053 of which were with AirAsia. First officer Emmanuel Plesel Remi had logged 2,247 flight hours.

Capt Iriyanto was with the air force before he leaving for the commercial sector, beginning with Merpati Airways.

"He used to be a fighter pilot. And after leaving the air force, he flew Fokker aircraft for Merpati," said National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) chief Bambang Soelistyo on Sunday (Dec 28). According to Mr Sulistyo, Capt Iriyanto also flew the F-5 Tiger and served in Squandron 14 of the Iswahjudi Air Force Base.

Before joining AirAsia, Capt Iriyanto was a pilot with Adam Air. He moved to AirAsia after Adam Air went bankrupt in March 2008. Adam Air was previously in the spotlight after one of their planes crashed near Majene, Sulawesi. It was later revealed that the airline failed to meet safety standards, and its license was revoked by authorities.

A PILOT IN MOURNING

Capt Iriyanto was grieving just before he flew QZ8501, a family member said. One of Iriyanto's sisters, Edi, had died a few days before the ill-fated AirAsia flight departed.

Just three days before QZ8501 departed, Capt Iriyanto was in Yogyakarta to meet his younger brothers. Mr Hendro Kusumo Broto, one of Capt Iriyanti's cousins, said that it was a painful time for the whole family after being hit with two tragedies in a row - first the loss of Edi, and now Iriyanto.

"It's like being punched twice, but what can we do? This is an ordeal we must overcome," said Mr Hendro. Mr Hendro added that he last met Capt Iriyanto three days ago when he was in Yogyakarta.

A DAUGHTER'S WISH

Capt Iriytanto's daughter Angela has uploaded a photo of her father onto her Path account, together with a heartfelt plea for her father to return home.

"Papa come home, brother still needs you ... Please return, papa. Papa must meet us and come home," Angela wrote.

- Merdeka.com/ac


- wong chee tat :)

Indonesia fears missing jet 'at bottom of sea'

Indonesia fears missing jet 'at bottom of sea'

Australia, Singapore and Malaysia joined the Indonesia-led search for the AirAsia plane as anguished relatives waited for news of their loved ones more than a day after Flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java Sea with 162 people on board.

JAKARTA: International search planes and ships scouring Indonesian waters for a missing AirAsia plane focused on Monday (Dec 29) on a patch of oil for possible clues, as a top official warned the aircraft was likely at the bottom of the sea.

Australia, Singapore and Malaysia joined the Indonesia-led search as anguished relatives waited for news of their loved ones more than a day after Flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java Sea with 162 people on board.

The Airbus A320-200 lost contact en route from Surabaya in Indonesia's east Java to Singapore on Sunday after the crew requested a change of flight plan due to stormy weather, in the third crisis for a Malaysian carrier this year.

Indonesian Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told AFP the search was now concentrated on an oil patch spotted off Belitung island in the Java Sea, across from Kalimantan on Borneo island.

"We are making sure whether it was avtur (aviation fuel) from the AirAsia plane or from a vessel because that location is a shipping line," he said.

OBJECT SEEN IN SEA NOT FROM MISSING JET

Separately, Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said an object spotted at sea was not from the plane. "It is not an easy operation in the sea, especially in bad weather like this," he said, adding that 15 ships and 30 aircraft were searching the area. "The government will not give up and is not giving a time limit for the search. What is important is to find the victims and the plane."

The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) chief Bambang Soelistyo said earlier it was likely the plane was at the "bottom of the sea". The hypothesis is "based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea", Bambang Soelistyo told journalists.

Ships and aircraft were searching an area where the sea is 40-50 metres (130-160 feet) deep, he said, adding that Indonesia was coordinating with other countries to borrow any equipment needed to scour the seabed.

HOPING FOR NEWS

Distraught relatives spent the night in Surabaya hoping for news of loved ones as the international search effort expanded. Intan, 28, said Indonesia needed overseas help to find the plane which was carrying her brother and his family and friends.

"My hope is Indonesia seeks as much help as possible from other countries. Don't claim 'We have sophisticated technology', just ask other countries because they are better equipped," she told AFP, as Jakarta welcomed offers of help from its neighbours.

"My prayer is I really, really hope that there will be news about the people on board. Whatever it is, what is important is we know where they are now," she said.

While the international operation has drawn comparisons with the ongoing search for Malaysia Airlines MH370, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot said it did not appear to be a great mystery. "It doesn't appear that there's any particular mystery here," Abbott told Sydney radio station 2GB.

"It's an aircraft that was flying a regular route on a regular schedule, it struck what appears to have been horrific weather, and it's down. But this is not a mystery like the MH370 disappearance and it's not an atrocity like the MH17 shooting down." China, which had 152 citizens on MH370, has also offered to help with the search.

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE

One Indonesian family of 10 had a miraculous escape when they arrived too late to catch Flight QZ8501. "Maybe it is all God's plan that my family and I were not on the flight. It was a blessing in disguise," said Christianawati, 36.

AirAsia said 155 of those on board were Indonesian, with three South Koreans and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and France. The Frenchman was the co-pilot.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the twin-engine aircraft around an hour after it left Surabaya's Juanda international airport at about 5.35am Indonesian time. Shortly before the plane disappeared, the pilot asked to ascend by 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds but his request was turned down due to another flight above him.

'PRAYING FOR SAFETY'

The missing plane was operated by AirAsia Indonesia, a unit of Malaysian-based AirAsia which dominates Southeast Asia's booming low-cost airline market.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago with poor roads and railways, has seen explosive growth in low-cost air travel over recent years. But the air industry has been blighted by low safety standards in an area that also experiences extreme weather.

AirAsia, which has never suffered a fatal accident, said the missing jet last underwent maintenance on November 16. Its shares slumped 12 percent at the open but recovered slightly to close 8.50 percent lower in Kuala Lumpur.

The plane's disappearance comes at the end of a disastrous year for Malaysian aviation. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March with 239 passengers and crew, and in July flight MH17 was shot down over troubled Ukraine killing all 298 on board.

- AFP/ir

- wong chee tat :)

As AirAsia search ends second day, families can only wait

As AirAsia search ends second day, families can only wait

Family members wait anxiously at the international airport in Surabaya as the search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 heads into dusk on the second day after the airplane went missing.

SURABAYA, Indonesia: Family members gathered and hugged and cried at the international airport here as they anxiously awaited news on the fate of passengers aboard AirAsia Flight QZ8501 as a second day of an intense multi-nation search for the plane headed into dusk.

Authorities had little new to report and little evidence on why the jet lost contact en route from Surabaya to Singapore shortly after the pilot requested permission to head to a higher altitude in the face of a storm, Channel NewsAsia reports.

The inability to immediately find the plane has brought back echoes of the ordeal of
Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 and questions of how what appeared to be a routine flight could go so wrong.

"I found out from television yesterday morning, and I found the names there in the list and so I was shocked and was not sure the first time," said one anxious family member waiting for any information.

Another family member said that more detail was needed. "Regardless of the fact that this is a tragedy, questions emerge on why the flight was moved up from 7.30am to 5.20am that day,” the second person said. “I believe many families would like to know the reason. If they hadn't left earlier, this may not have happened."

The head of the aviation authority at Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport, Pramintohadi Sukarno, said that the investigation would be thorough from his end.

"We follow the regulations starting from the investigation on the possibility of the performance of the aircraft. On the other hand, we have to check all the procedures whether they comply or not with the civil aviation security part of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) regulations."

But until authorities find evidence of the whereabouts of the missing plane, distraught families and friends of those on board have little choice but to wait for the next briefing and hope their loved ones will be found.

AirAsia has provided free accommodation and transport to and from the airport for family members and Surabaya City officials have set up a call centre and offered assistance to locate next-of-kin and to provide counselling.

"We have begun safeguarding some houses in which entire families had left empty to go on a vacation,” said Tri Rismaharini, the mayor of Surabaya. “I'm working with local police and neighbourhood officials to help keep an eye on the houses."

- CNA/el

- wong chee tat :)

China says closely monitoring developments in missing AirAsia flight

China says closely monitoring developments in missing AirAsia flight                 English.news.cn | 2014-12-28 17:17:51 | Editor: Yang Yi

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's Foreign Ministry said it is closely monitoring developments in missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 on Sunday. China is deeply worried about the safety of the passengers and crew and offers condolences to their families, Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement. An AirAsia passenger plane with 162 people on board lost contact with ground control Sunday after departing from Surabaya in Indonesia on its way to Singapore. No Chinese citizens have been found aboard the plane, according to Hua. China will continue to closely monitor developments of the missing flight, she said. - wong chee tat :)

AirAsia releases information of passengers, crew onboard missing flight

AirAsia releases information of passengers, crew onboard missing flight English.news.cn   2014-12-28 14:13:05       Undated file photo shows AirAsia aircraft on the tarmac of an airport. AirAsia said on Dec. 28, 2014 in a statement that its flight QZ8501 from Surabaya of Indonesia to Singapore had lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 in the morning (2324 Dec. 27 GMT). The A320-200 had 155 people. (Xinhua) KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- 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.

- wong chee tat :)

Indonesian rescuers reach seas where missing plane loses contact

Indonesian rescuers reach seas where missing plane loses contact

English.news.cn   2014-12-28 19:34:04

JAKARTA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Planes and helicopters searching for an AirAsia plane that went missing with 161 people on board on Sunday morning have arrived at waters where the plane was believed to have lost, an official of the transport ministry said here.

But so far they have not found any signs that the plane had crashed in the surrounding waters, Director General of Air Transport of Indonesian Transport Ministry Djoko Murjatmodjo told a press conference at the main airport in Jakarta.

Australia, Britain, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia have offered assistance to find the missing plane, the official said.

Besides, China also offered one plane to help the search operation, said Bambang Sulistyo, head of national search and rescue agency.

The search operation would also be carried out on land around the scene where the plane lost contact, involving army, said Murjatmodjo.

Flight QZ8501 lost contact with the ground after air traffic control consent to the pilot's request to change flight route but it did not approve the request to increase its height to 34,000 feet, said Murjatmodjo.

There were 155 passengers and seven crew members on board the plane, including 16 children and an infant.

The captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the co-pilot a total of 2,275 flying hours, according to AirAsia.

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

- wong chee tat :)

AirAsia plane with 162 people on board loses contact in Indonesia, no wreckage found yet

AirAsia plane with 162 people on board loses contact in Indonesia, no wreckage found yet

English.news.cn   2014-12-28 19:03:50

Picture taken on Dec. 28, 2014 shows the arrival information board displaying the status of Air Asia flight QZ8501 at Changi Airport in Singapore. The flight QZ8501 took off from Surabaya, Indonesia, at 5:20 a.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive at Singapore's Changi Airport at 8:30 a.m.. Singapore air traffic control was informed at 7:54 a.m. that the flight lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control at 7:24 a.m. local time on Sunday. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

Click here for more photos>>

JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai on Sunday dismissed reports that the wreckage of a missing AirAsia plane had been discovered, saying no information has been received so far about the whereabouts of the jetliner.

The remarks were made at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur nearly 12 hours after the Singapore-bound AirAsia passenger plane with 162 people aboard took off from Surabaya in Indonesia's East Java province.

The Airbus A320-200 was on the submitted flight plan route when it lost contact with the air traffic control about 42 minutes after its takeoff at 5:35 a.m. local time (2235 GMT Saturday). It is scheduled to land at 8:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT).

Liow said Malaysia had deployed three vessels and one aircraft to assist in the search operations at the request from the Indonesian side. A Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) at the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Control Center (ATCC) in Subang has been set up to assist with the coordination efforts.

"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 Malaysia-based budget airline said.

There were 155 passengers and seven crew members on board the plane, including 16 children and an infant.

The captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the co-pilot a total of 2,275 flying hours, according to AirAsia.

The passengers and crew members include one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one French, threeSouth Koreans and 156 Indonesians.

At Singapore's Changi airport, people started to show up around noon at a specially designated waiting area for families and friends of the affected passengers in Terminal 2.

By 4:00 p.m. (0800 GMT), 10 people were seen being escorted into the waiting area, which was closed to the media.

One of them, who declined to be named, said she had four relatives onboard the flight, including a 12-year-old and a 17- year-old.

Low Swee Seh, chief of a local charity health services organization, said volunteers from his organization stood ready to offer counseling services to families of the affected passengers.

The plane had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on Nov. 16, the carrier said, adding that AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes was on his way to Surabaya.

"On my way to Surabaya where most of the passengers are from as with my Indonesian management. Providing information as we get it, " Fernandes said on Twitter.

"My only thoughts are with the passengers and my crew. We put our hope in the search and rescue operation and thank the Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysian governments," he added.

Hundreds of Indonesians rushed to Surabaya airport, where dozens of relatives were seen sitting in a room, many of whom talking on cellphones and crying.

Indonesia has been deploying three planes and ships to search the missing plane that lost contact at 6:17 a.m. Jakarta time on Sunday (2317 GMT Saturday), an Indonesian official said.

Director General of Air Transport of Indonesian Transport Ministry Djoko Murjatmodjo told a press conference at the Jakarta airport that the plane went missing after the pilot requested to divert from its route because of cloud, and raise the height of the flight from 32,000 feet (9,700 meters) to 34,000 feet (10,303 meters).

The director said the airliner went missing in the Java Sea between Tanjung Pandan of Bangka Balitung province and Pontianak city of West Kalimantan province.

Djoko said the aircraft, which sent no distress signal, must have run out its fuel if it kept flying.

But he did not say whether the plane had crashed or had an accident. "We don't dare to presume what has happened except that it has lost contact," he said.

AirAsia also confirmed that the pilot of Flight QZ8501 had requested "deviation" from its flight plan because of bad weather.

"The aircraft ... was requesting deviation due to en route weather," the Malaysia-based carrier said.

"Communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control," it added.

The Singapore air force and the navy were also searching with two C-130 planes. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on his social media page that he had called Indonesian President Joko Widodo to offer help.

The incident came at the end of a disastrous year for the Malaysian aviation. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, with 239 people on board, disappeared on March 8 after diverting from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing course. No trace of the jetliner has been found despite massive search efforts.

Months later, MH17, also a Boeing 777, went down on July 17 in the war-born eastern Ukraine enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 aboard.

AirAsia, a low-cost carrier, has dominated cheap traveling in the region for years with about 100 destinations and affiliate companies in several Asian countries.

- wong chee tat :)

AirAsia plane with 162 on board missing en route to Singapore

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Published : 2014-12-28 19:18
Updated : 2014-12-28 21:20

An official from Indonesia`s national search and rescue agency in Medan, North Sumatra, monitors computer screens during a search efforts for AirAsia flight QZ8501 which went missing off the waters of Indonesia on Sunday. (AFP-Yonhap)

JAKARTA (AFP) -- Rescuers scoured the Java Sea on Sunday for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people which went missing in bad weather en route from Indonesia to Singapore, in the third crisis for a Malaysian carrier this year.

Around 11 hours after it disappeared, Indonesian military aircraft had yet to find any sign of the Airbus A320-200 as dusk set in.

The search halted at 5.30pm (1030 GMT) but would resume at 7am Monday, or even earlier if the weather was good, Indonesian transport ministry official Hadi Mustofa told AFP.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the twin-engine aircraft around an hour after it left Juanda international airport at Surabaya in East Java at 5:20am.

Shortly before disappearing, AirAsia said the plane had asked permission from Jakarta air traffic control to deviate from its flight plan and climb above bad weather in an area noted for severe thunderstorms.

The airline, giving a revised breakdown of nationalities, said 155 of those on board Flight QZ8501 were Indonesians, with three South Koreans and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and France.

The Frenchman was the co-pilot.

Sixteen of those on board were children and one was an infant.

Two Indonesian air force planes and a helicopter searched the waters around the islands of Bangka and Belitung in the Java Sea, across from Kalimantan on Borneo island.

"We have focused all our strength, from the search and rescue agency, the military, police and help from the community as well as the fishermen," rescue agency chief F.H.B. Soelistyo told a press conference.

He said three ships and three planes from Malaysia would join the search Monday. Singapore had offered a C130 plane and Australia also offered help.

The aircraft was operated by AirAsia Indonesia, a unit of Malaysian-based AirAsia which dominates Southeast Asia's booming low-cost airline market.

AirAsia's flamboyant boss Tony Fernandes, a former record industry executive who acquired the then-failing airline in 2001, said he was on his way to Surabaya, where most of the passengers are from.

"My only thought(s) are with the passengers and my crew," he added on his Twitter page.

With hard details few and far between, panicked relatives gathered at Singapore's Changi airport.

Indonesian Louis Sidartha, 25, told reporters her fiance was on board the flight.

They had taken separate flights from Surabaya to Singapore, and she said she only found out about the missing aircraft upon arriving in Singapore on a later flight.

In Surabaya hundreds of Indonesians descended on the terminal, hoping for news.

A 45-year-old woman told AFP that she had six family members on the plane.

"They were going to Singapore for a holiday," she said.

"They have always flown with AirAsia and there was no problem. I am very worried that the plane might have crashed."

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo said his nation was "praying for the safety" of those onboard.

His country, a vast archipelago with poor land transport infrastructure, has seen an explosive growth in low-cost air travel over recent years.

But the air industry has been blighted by poor safety standards in an area that also experiences extreme weather.

AirAsia said the missing jet last underwent maintenance on November 16. The company has never suffered a fatal accident.

An official from Indonesia's transport ministry said the pilot asked to ascend by 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds.

"The plane is in good condition but the weather is not so good," Djoko Murjatmodjo told a press conference at Jakarta's airport, addressing reports of severe storms in the area where the jet went missing.

Climbing to dodge large rain clouds is a standard procedure for aircraft in these conditions.

"What happens after that is a question mark," according to Indonesian-based aviation analyst Dudi Sudibyo.

The plane's disappearance comes at the end of a disastrous year for Malaysian aviation.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, vanished in March after inexplicably diverting from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing course. No trace of it has been found.

Another Malaysia Airlines plane went down in July in rebellion-torn eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 aboard. It was believed to have been hit by a surface-to-air missile.

AirAsia has seen spectacular success and aggressive growth under Fernandes' low-cost, low-overheads model.

While its rival Malaysia Airlines faces potential collapse after the two disasters this year, AirAsia this month confirmed its order of 55 A330-900neo passenger planes at a list price of $15 billion.




- wong chee tat :)

Missing AirAsia flight QZ8501: what we know so far

Air traffic control has lost contact with a passenger plane flying from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board.

BY NEW STATESMAN PUBLISHED 28 DECEMBER, 2014 - 10:05

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The authorities are searching for the missing airliner. Photo: Getty

Here is what we know so far about the third potential air incident connected to Malaysia this year:
 

 - An AirAsia Indonesia airliner, flight QZ8501, flying from Indonesia to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control. It went missing at 7.24 local time.

 - It has 162 people on board. Most on board are Indonesian, and there are also three South Koreans, one French, Malaysian and Singaporean. The Foreign Office confirmed this morning that one Briton is also on board, whose next of kin has been informed.

 - It disappeared halfway through the flight, which should take more than two hours. It was due to land in Singapore at 8.30 local time.

 - No distress call was sent but the plane had requested to deviate from the flight path due to stormy weather. It asked for permission to climb to 38,000ft to avoid some thick clouds, shortly before losing contact.

 - A search and rescue operation, led by Singapore and Indonesia, is under way in the Java Sea area. Malaysia and Australia have offered to help.

Here is the airline's statement:

AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 (Surabaya LT) this morning. The flight took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 0535hours.

The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC. There were two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer on board.

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

There were 155 passengers on board, with 138 adults, 16 children and 1 infant. Also on board were 2 pilots and 5 cabin crew.

Nationalities of passengers and crew onboard are as below:

1 Singapore

1 Malaysia

1 France

3 South Korean

156 Indonesia

At this time, search and rescue operations are being conducted under the guidance of The Indonesia of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). AirAsia Indonesia is cooperating fully and assisting the investigation in every possible way.

The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and 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).

The aircraft had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on 16 November 2014.

AirAsia has established an Emergency Call Centre that is available for family or friends of those who may have been on board the aircraft. The number is: +622129850801.

AirAsia will release further information as soon as it becomes available. Updated information will also be posted on the AirAsia website, www.airasia.com.

- wong chee tat :)

AirAsia Flight QZ8501 loses contact with air traffic control

155 passengers, including 16 children and 1 infant, 2 pilots and 5 crew aboard

The Associated Press Posted: Dec 27, 2014 10:30 PM ET Last Updated: Dec 28, 2014 4:28 AM ET

An AirAsia Airbus A320 takes off in June. An AirAsia flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images)

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• AsiaAir statement on missing Flight QZ8501
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UPDATED

• 155 passengers, 2 pilots and 5 crew were on the plane.
• Nationalities of those aboard include Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean, French, South Korean.
• Pilot requested altitude change shortly before contact was lost.
• Jet has been out of contact for more than 9 hours.
• Rescue operations by Indonesian authorities are underway.

In the third air incident connected to Malaysia this year, an AirAsia plane with 162 people on board disappeared Sunday while flying over the Java Sea after taking off from a provincial city in Indonesia for Singapore.

The two countries immediately launched a search and rescue operation for Flight QZ8501, but there was no sign of the plane more than seven hours after it lost contact with ground control.

• Read AirAsia's full statement on Flight QZ8501
• ​​Why airlines don't live-stream black box data
• GRAPHIC | Inside a plane's black boxes

AirAsia, a regional low-cost carrier founded in 2001 by Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, said in a statement that the missing Airbus A320-200 was on the submitted flight plan route. However, it had requested deviation due to weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control.

AirAsia, which has a presence in most of Southeast Asia and recently in India, has never lost a plane before and has a good safety track record.

"We don't dare to presume what has happened except that it has lost contact," Djoko Murjatmodjo, Indonesia's acting director general of transportation, told reporters. He said the last communication between the pilot and air traffic control was at 6:13 a.m. when the pilot "asked to avoid clouds by turning left and going higher to 34,000 feet (10,360 metres)."

He said there was no distress signal from the cockpit.

Relatives of the passengers of AirAsia flight QZ8501 comfort each other at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014. (Trisnadi/Associated Press)

The contact was lost about 42 minutes after the single-aisle, twin-engine jetliner took off from Surabaya airport, Hadi Mustofa, an official of the transportation ministry, told Indonesia's MetroTV. It was about an hour before it was scheduled to land in Singapore.

The plane had an Indonesian captain and a French co-pilot, five cabin crew and 155 passengers, including 16 children and one infant, AirAsia Indonesia said in a statement. Among the passengers were three South Koreans and one each from Singapore, Malaysia. The rest were Indonesians.

It said the captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours, a substantial number, and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours.

Rescue effort ongoing

At Surabaya airport, dozens of relatives sat in a room, many of them talking on mobile phones and crying. Some looked dazed. As word spread, more and more family members were arriving at the crisis centre to await word.

Murjatmodjo, the Indonesian official, said the plane is believed to have gone missing somewhere over the Java Sea between Tanjung Pandan on Belitung island and Pontianak, on Indonesia's part of Borneo island.

Family members of passengers on AirAsia Flight QZ8501 search a list of names as they await news of their loves ones at Juanda Airport in Indonesia. (Suryanto/Antara Foto/Reuters)

Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan told reporters in Surabaya that the position was believed to be near the coast line. He said search and rescue efforts now involved the Indonesian army, the national Search and Rescue Agency as well as Singapore and Malaysia. But that effort will focus on the area around Belitung island.

Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto said three aircraft, including a surveillance plane, had been dispatched to the area. The Singapore air force and the navy also were searching with two C-130 planes.

Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, said the plane was delivered in September 2008, which would make it six years old. It is not clear if it has any satellite tracking devices on board.

'We have to reserve judgment'

Malaysia-based AirAsia, which has dominated cheap travel in the region for years, flies short routes of just a few hours, connecting large cities of Southeast Asia. However, recently it has tried to expand into long-distance flying through its sister airline AirAsia X. AirAsia Malaysia owns 49 per cent of its subsidiary, AirAsia Indonesia.

Fernandes, who is the face of AirAsia and an active Twitter user, sent out a tweet saying: "Thank you for all your thoughts and prays. We must stay strong." He tweeted later that he was heading to Surabaya.

A Changi Airport employee in Singapore holds up a sign to direct possible relatives of passengers of AirAsia Flight QZ8501. (Edgar Su/Reuters)

Fernandes stirred controversy earlier this year after incorrectly tweeting that Malaysia Airlines flight 370, now synonymous with one of aviation's enduring mysteries, had landed safely. The wide-bodied Boeing 777went missing soon after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on March 8. It remains missing until this day with 239 people.

Another Malaysia Airlines flight, also a Boeing 777, was shot down over rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine while on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17. A total of 298 people on board were killed.

William Waldock, an expert on air crash search and rescue with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, cautioned against drawing comparisons to the disappearance of Malaysia flight 370.

"I think we have to let this play out," he said. "Hopefully, the airplane will get found, and if that happens it will probably be in the next few hours. Until then, we have to reserve judgment."

The circumstances bode well for finding the plane since the intended flight time was less than two hours and there is a known position at which the plane disappeared, he said.

Aircraft has strong safety record

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, expressed solidarity with AirAsia. In a tweet he said: "Very sad to hear that AirAsia Indonesia QZ8501 is missing. My thoughts are with the families. Malaysia stands ready to help."

President Barack Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii, was briefed Sunday evening on the plane's disappearance, and White House officials were tracking the situation, the White House said.

• INTERACTIVE | Planes that went missing without a trace

The Airbus A320 is a workhorse of modern aviation. Similar to the Boeing 737, it is used to connect cities anywhere from one to five hours apart. There are currently 3,606 A320s in operation worldwide, according to Airbus. The A320 family of jets, which includes A319 and A321, has a very good safety record, with just 0.14 fatal accidents per million takeoffs, according to a safety study published by Boeing in August.

It's too early to say what might have caused a crash, but the safest part of a trip is when a plane is flying at its cruising elevation. Just 10 per cent of fatal crashes from 2004 through 2013 occurred while a plane was in that stage of flight, according to the August Boeing safety report.

Passing through bad weather, such as severe thunderstorms, could have been a factor. Airbus jets are very sophisticated and are able to automatically adjust to wind sheers or other weather disruptions. However, weather has played a role in past air disasters that occurred at cruise elevation, including the 2009 Air France Flight 447 crash over the Atlantic Ocean.

Another possibility is some type of catastrophic metal fatigue caused by the cycle of pressurization and depressurization associated with each takeoff and landing cycle - something that flight 8501 would have done a lot. Still, metal fatigue is unlikely because this plane is only six years old.

On mobile? Click here to see the approximate flight path of Flight QZ8501

© The Associated Press, 2014

- wong chee tat :)