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AirAsia plane at ‘bottom of sea’, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency

Today, Indonesia’s transport minister said the government would review AirAsia’s operations in the Southeast Asian country following the disappearance of a plane with 162 passengers onboard.

“We will do a ground check as well as a review of AirAsia’s operations in Indonesia to ensure that all of its activities are better in the future,” Ignasius Jonan told reporters.

AirAsia, which has never suffered a fatal accident, said the missing jet last underwent maintenance on 16 November.The AirAsia plane which went missing with 162 passengers on board en route for Singapore is likely at the bottom of the sea, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency chief said today.

“Based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea,” Bambang Soelistyo told a press conference. “That’s the preliminary doubt and it can develop based on the evaluation of the result of our search.”

Soelistyo said Indonesia did not have “the tools”, such as submersible vehicles, required to retrieve the plane from the seabed, but that it is reaching out to other countries for help if necessary. The official also “In absence of technology that we have, I have coordinated with our foreign minister so we will borrow from other countries which have offered. They are the UK, France and US,” he said.