QZ8501: Worst nightmare of my life, says AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes

Jakarta, Dec 28: AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes said the disappearance of Flight QZ8501 on Sunday morning was his worst nightmare. [Indonesia halts search operation for the night]

Fifty-year-old Fernandes, the Malaysian-British entreprenuer who played a big role in the revival of AirAsia, said in a Twitter post: "I am touched by the massive show of support especially from my fellow airlines. This is my worse (sic) nightmare. But there is no stopping."

Fernandes stood by the staff members of the AirAsia at the hour of crisis and said the priority of the organisation was to look after the kin of the staff members and passengers in all possible way. [December 28: A day of disasters]

Flight QZ8501 went missing after its pilots sought permission to change its course because of poor weather conditions but the flight lost control with the air traffic control around 7.24 am Indonesian local time. It could not be tracked since then.

The flight with 162 people on board (155 passengers and seven crew members) became the second plane to have disappeared mysteriously this year. In March, a Malaysia Airlines flight vanished soon after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing with 239 people on board and could not be found again.

AirAsia Emergency Call Centre: +622129850801

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