AirAsia Airbus A320 with 162 people missing over Java Sea

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The AirAsia aircraft that went missing on Sunday on its way to Singapore from Surabaya in Indonesia had 162 people onboard.

AirAsia Flight QZ8501, an Airbus 320-200, lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control at 6:17 a.m. (6.17 p.m. EST/2317 GMT), officials said.

The aircraft went missing as it flew over the Java Sea between the islands of Belitung and Borneo, according to Indonesian authorities, who are leading the search and rescue operations.

“The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to en route weather before communication with the aircraft was lost,” the airline said in a statement.