According to Google Trends, terms like “ Air Asia ” and the related searches of “AirAsia, missing plane, Singapore” received more than 200,000 searches on Saturday, when news of the missing plane hit the internet. Performing a Google News search for “Air Asia” sorted by the most recent updates in the last 24 hours turns up news about missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501.
According to Web India , the Navy is standing by to join the hunt for the missing AirAsia airliner , which vanished with 162 souls onboard the while flying from the western regions of Indonesia to Singapore on what should have been only a two-hour flight.
Channel 4 News joins the other news organizations in asking what could’ve happened to the missing AirAsia plane , a flight whose disappearance caused rescue crews to suspend their search for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 because of poor weather.
The pilot of the missing plane asked for permission to change course because of bad weather during the flight. After that communication, the plane dropped off the radar.
As reported by the Inquistir , AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes turned to Twitter to express his thoughts about the missing plane . On Fernandes’ Twitter feed, he linked to a Facebook page with updated information about the missing AirAsia plane and information about the emergency call center that has been established for family members and loved ones to get new details, with a separate phone number for media inquiries. Stayed tuned to that AirAsia Facebook page for the latest updates.
“We have also established an Emergency Call Centre that is available for those seeking information about relatives or friends who may have been on board the flight. The number is +622129270811.”
The Facebook update also lists more detailed information about the missing plane’s pilots’ flight history and the aircraft itself.
“The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC. There were 155 passengers on board, with 137 adults, 17 children and 1 infant. Also on board were 2 pilots and 4-cabin crew and one engineer on board. The captain in command had a total of 20,537 flying hours of which, 6,100 flying hours were with AirAsia Indonesia on the Airbus A320. The first office officer had a total of 2,275 flying hours with AirAsia Indonesia.”
“We will release further information as soon as it becomes available and our thoughts and prayers are with those on board QZ8501. Note to Editors: We ask that members of the news media do not call the AirAsia Emergency Call Centre, as this line is reserved for family members seeking information about those who may have been on board. For media enquiries please call +622129270831.”
[Image credit of AirAsia missing plane rendering: Bing]