The search for Air Asia flight and the 162 people on board continues today.
Flight QZ8501was travelling from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore. The flight lost contact with air traffic control 42 minutes into the flight, shortly after requesting permission to change course because of a storm.
Djoko Murjatmodjo, an Indonesian transport ministry official, said permission was denied seince "due to traffic, there was a flight above, and five minutes later [flight QZ8501] disappeared from radar".
Bad weather has hampered the air and sea search for the A320-200.
Tony Fernandes, Air Asia's chief executive and the owner of Queens Park Rangers and the Caterham Formula One team, described the disappearance as "my worst nightmare".
The airline's updated webpage on the disappearance is here.
Tom Otley
