Vanishing of QZ8501 'a Massive Shock' - Tony Fernandes

[webfact]

Vanishing of QZ8501 "a Massive Shock" - Tony Fernandes
By Digital Content

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (Bernama) -- AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the company was still in the dark over what happened to AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501 which went missing Sunday morning.

He told a press conference in Surabaya, Indonesia, the point of departure of the Singapore-bound Airbus A320-200, that the plane was in good condition and had undergone scheduled maintenance in November.

"This is a massive shock to us...unbelievable," said a sombre-looking Fernandes at the media conference which was telecast live over Indonesian television monitored here.

To a question, Fernandes said he did not want to speculate on what happened to the missing plane with 162 people aboard, stressing that "we don't know what went wrong".

The Malaysian aviation magnate said he left it to the search and rescue operation teams to locate the six-year old aircraft, which left Surabaya at 5.35 am but lost contact with Indonesian air traffic control at 7.24 am. It was scheduled to reach Singapore at 8.20 am, all local times.

Those on board comprised 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, one Singaporean, one Malaysian, a French national and one Briton.

Fernandes said the priority now was looking after the next-of-kin of QZ8501's passengers and crew.

In a series of tweets earlier, he said:

"I, as your group CEO, will be there through these hard times. We will go through this terrible ordeal together."

Fernandes also said he was touched by the massive show of support, especially from fellow airlines.

"This is my worst nightmare," said the entrepreneur as he was making his way to Surabaya "where most of the passengers were from as with my Indonesian management". (BERNAMA)


-- TNA 2014-12-29

[webfact]

AirAsia flight QZ8501: Plane’s disappearance is my worst nightmare, says Tony Fernandes



KUALA LUMPUR: -- AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes described the disappearance of QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore on Sunday as his worst nightmare, The Straits Times.

“I am touched by the massive show of support especially from my fellow airlines. This is my worst nightmare. But there is no stopping,” he said on Twitter @tonyfernandes.

“To all my staff Airasia all stars be strong, continue to be the best. Pray hard. Continue to do your best for all our guests. See u all soon.

“I as your group ceo will be there through these hard times. We will go through this terrible ordeal together.

“Our priority is looking after all the next of kin for my staff and passengers. We will do whatever we can,” he added.

The Indonesia AirAsia flight with 162 people on board remains missing after losing contact with ground control early on Sunday morning after takeoff from Surabaya on the way to Singapore.

Indonesia resumed at dawn Monday the search for an Indonesia AirAsia plane that went missing in the Java Sea with 162 people on board, a search and rescue official said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/airasia-flight-qz8501-planes-disappearance-worst-nightmare-says-tony-fernandes


-- Thai PBS 2014-12-29

[airconsult]

Yes, shocked - and yet you wondered why people found your in-flight magazine distasteful back in april after MH had lost 2 planes.

http://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-withdraws-in-flight-magazine-boasting-our-pilots-never-lose-planes-2014-4

"Southeast Asia's top budget carrier AirAsia on Saturday withdrew its latest inflight magazine and apologised for an offending article boasting that its well-trained pilots would never lose a plane.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-withdraws-in-flight-magazine-boasting-our-pilots-never-lose-planes-2014-4#ixzz3NGMXfNFp"

[EyesWideOpen]

Yes, shocked - and yet you wondered why people found your in-flight magazine distasteful back in april after MH had lost 2 planes.

http://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-withdraws-in-flight-magazine-boasting-our-pilots-never-lose-planes-2014-4

"Southeast Asia's top budget carrier AirAsia on Saturday withdrew its latest inflight magazine and apologised for an offending article boasting that its well-trained pilots would never lose a plane.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-withdraws-in-flight-magazine-boasting-our-pilots-never-lose-planes-2014-4#ixzz3NGMXfNFp"

Ouch !!!!!!!

[firestar]

Yes, shocked - and yet you wondered why people found your in-flight magazine distasteful back in april after MH had lost 2 planes.

http://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-withdraws-in-flight-magazine-boasting-our-pilots-never-lose-planes-2014-4

"Southeast Asia's top budget carrier AirAsia on Saturday withdrew its latest inflight magazine and apologised for an offending article boasting that its well-trained pilots would never lose a plane.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-withdraws-in-flight-magazine-boasting-our-pilots-never-lose-planes-2014-4#ixzz3NGMXfNFp"

To be fair I don't think Fernandes reads all articles for "travel 3Sixty" and he didn't wonder why people found it offensive, it was pulled out immediately.

[jamiesilver]

I dont understand why aircraft Black boxes dont have GPS enabled and a backup battery that can keep it working for a few weeks afterwards.
Surely in this day and age?

[Doc46]

Yes, shocked - and yet you wondered why people found your in-flight magazine distasteful back in april after MH had lost 2 planes.

http://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-withdraws-in-flight-magazine-boasting-our-pilots-never-lose-planes-2014-4

"Southeast Asia's top budget carrier AirAsia on Saturday withdrew its latest inflight magazine and apologised for an offending article boasting that its well-trained pilots would never lose a plane.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-withdraws-in-flight-magazine-boasting-our-pilots-never-lose-planes-2014-4#ixzz3NGMXfNFp"

Yea maybe some pilots are trained and op to scratch with all the update and periodic upgrading for their pilots licence,But is this standard the same for the very imported maintenance technicians?

[DaffyDuck]

Aircraft Black boxes *do* include locator transmitters (what I assume you call 'gps'), and their batteries are designed to transmit for up to 30 days. Nevertheless, finding them is still tricky as all transmitters have a limited range, once removed from the functional she'll of an aircraft.

[Loles]

I dont understand why aircraft Black boxes dont have GPS enabled and a backup battery that can keep it working for a few weeks afterwards.

Surely in this day and age?

This is my question too. Please we are in XXI. century and this would be not a big deal, I guess. But the saving is big lord ....

[luckyman]

"AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the company was still in the dark over what happened to AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501 which went missing Sunday morning."

Should have installed transponders/tracking equipment when it was due, especially after it's big brother Malaysia airlines 'lost' a big plane only months ago....jeez this guy belongs in prison if you ask me!

[Boon Mee]

Time to buy some stock in Airasia?

[airconsult]

I dont understand why aircraft Black boxes dont have GPS enabled and a backup battery that can keep it working for a few weeks afterwards.

Surely in this day and age?

This is my question too. Please we are in XXI. century and this would be not a big deal, I guess. But the saving is big lord ....

I don't want to delve into all the technical details of exactly what emergency systems there are and how they signal.

However - let's just say that normal GPS is line-of-sight only (so not effective under water), and in fact it is very, very hard to push any type of signal under water except acoustic and extremely long wave - and the BB is equipped with an acoustic "pinger" for this purpose.

[Tanlic]

I dont understand why aircraft Black boxes dont have GPS enabled and a backup battery that can keep it working for a few weeks afterwards.

Surely in this day and age?

As a Layman I too am baffled. Facebook and the likes can trace your every move yet they cant track a huge plane.

Obviously if it crashed into the sea and is under deep water that could explain but surely Air control know exactly where a planes is at all times.

I would have thought ever bleep on a radar screen was automatically recorded in case of a plane going down......Guess it simply isn't as sophisticated as one might think

.

[DaffyDuck]

I dont understand why aircraft Black boxes dont have GPS enabled and a backup battery that can keep it working for a few weeks afterwards.

Surely in this day and age?

This is my question too. Please we are in XXI. century and this would be not a big deal, I guess. But the saving is big lord ....

As I pointed out in the comment preceding your incredulous question -- Aircraft Black boxes *do* include locator transmitters (what I assume you call 'gps'), and their batteries are designed to transmit for up to 30 days. Nevertheless, finding them is still tricky as all transmitters have a limited range, once removed from the functional she'll of an aircraft.

[DaffyDuck]

Should have installed transponders/tracking equipment when it was due, especially after it's big brother Malaysia airlines 'lost' a big plane only months ago....jeez this guy belongs in prison if you ask me!

AirAsia has had an exemplary safety record so far - your assertion and call for imprisonment is pure nonsense.

[BudRight]

'Cost is the enemy,'

Safety is a cost.

Safety is the enemy.

[DaffyDuck]

^ non sequitur comment.