AirAsia QZ8501: Australia joins search for missing flight

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, December 29, 2014: An Australian military aircraft on Monday joined the search operation for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, which vanished over the Java Sea.

Shortly after the plane’s disappearance was made public on Sunday, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop offered assistance to her Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi.

On Monday morning, a Royal Australian Air Force(RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft took off from Darwin to assist with the Indonesian-led search, Xinhua reported.
 
Australian defence force chief, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, said the aircraft involved in the search specialised in search and rescue.

"The RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft has a well-proven capability in search and rescue and carries maritime search radar coupled with infrared and electro-optical sensors to support the visual observation capabilities provided by its highly trained crew members," Binskin said in a statement.

"Our focus at this point must be on finding the plane. At this stage we are just hoping and praying that some passengers and crew can be rescued," Bishop told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television.

"The search and rescue operation has been under way for some time. It was stopped overnight because of weather," he added.

Bishop told Marsudi that aircraft disasters had brought Australia and Indonesia closer together in 2014.

Singapore, Malaysia and India have also offered to assist the search effort.

Courtesy: Indiatoday