QZ8501 AirAsia's Surabaya-Singapore flight carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members on board crashed into the sea off Kalimantan on Sunday morning after taking off from Surabaya in Java, Indonesia, at 5.20am local time.
Search and rescue (SAR) efforts are now focussed on recovering bodies and debris from the sea.
Malaysiakini brings you the live updates of information as it comes in.
- Russians send specialised plane
Four times weekly approved on S'pore side
6pm:
In response to media queries, Changi Airport Group (CAG) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) confirm that AirAsia Indonesia had approval to run daily flights from Surabaya to Singapore, even though the airline had flown on Sundays without authorisation from Indonesian authorities.
CAAS and CAG say the approval was based on air traffic rights under an air services agreement and available slots at Changi Airport, reports Channel NewsAsia .
The airline was plying the route four times a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Airlines need to get approval for flight schedules by civil aviation authorities at each end, separately, CAAS and CAG say.
Russians send specialised plane
5.30pm: Russian authorities have brought their BE-200 aircraft to assist with the search and rescue operations, Channel NewsAsia reports.
The BE-200 is fitted with instruments specifically for searching debris and the black box.
The Russians will also be deploying 22 deep water divers, and a submersible vehicle that weighs 500kg to operate in high waves and strong currents.
Jakarta to probe all AirAsia flight schedules
5pm: Indonesia's Transport Ministry will investigate all Indonesia AirAsia flight schedules from Monday, a government official told Reuters on Saturday, as part of a government probe into the passenger jet that crashed.
"We are going to investigate all AirAsia flight schedules," Djoko Muratmodjo, acting general director for air navigation in the Transport Ministry said. "Hopefully we can start on next
Monday. We won't focus on licences, just schedules."
"It might be possible to revoke AirAsia's licence in Indonesia," Muratmodjo added.
Ships searching for the wreck of an AirAsia passenger jet that crashed with 162 people on board have pinpointed two "big objects" on the sea floor, the head of Indonesia's search and
rescue agency said on Saturday.
Indonesia AirAsia CEO Sunu Widyatmoko told reporters the company would cooperate with the government investigation, but declined to elaborate.
4pm: Royal Malaysian Navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar says he is confident the black box will be recovered, reports Berita Harian .
He says this in belief the sighting today of two large objects below the oil slick are sections of the plane, and if so would hasten the search.
Two more bodies identified
3.50pm:
Two more passengers – Hendra Gunawan Syawal and The Meiji Thejakusuma – have been identified.
AirAsia Indonesia has also confirmed that its Surabaya-Singapore route has been suspended at the Indonesian government's request.
The government is investigating and evaluating, and AirAsia has said it will fully cooperate, reports Channel NewsAsia .
Signal from other ships may make search harder
1pm:
A transportation safety investigator says conflicting signals from too many ships may make the search for the QZ8501 black box harder, reports Channel NewsAsia .Two 'big objects' spotted near oil slick
Meanwhile, Todayonline reports the objects are 9.4 metres and 7.2 metres long respectively.
Divers who have been on standby for several days are finally being deployed.
Before that, submersible equipment have been sent down for a closer look.
10.30am : AirAsia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes continues to receive praise for his handling of the AirAsia flight QZ8501 crisis.
If AirAsia bounces back from its first fatal disaster, much of the credit will go to its effusive founder Tony Fernandes and a well-oiled communications machine," reports Associated Press .
Poor weather hampering search
10.23am : Some 90 Indonesian Navy divers remain on standby as the exact wreckage site has yet to be found due to poor weather.
"Indonesia's crack navy divers are chafing at the bad weather that has prevented them from locating the precise crash site," reports The Straits Times .10.14am : Malaysian Royal Navy Chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar says the search area has been expanded some 111km eastwards.
Indonesia suspends AirAsia route
10.02am: Indonesia's Transport Ministry announced late last night that it has suspended AirAsia's Surabaya-Singapore route. This is due to AirAsia’s violation of an earlier agreement.
According to Channel NewsAsia , AirAsia Indonesia is only allowed to ply that route on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, but it had done so on Sundays as well.
The ill-fated AirAsia’s QZ8501 flight had departed last Sunday at 5.20am.
The Transport Ministry says all affected passengers will be redirected to other flights.
