Airasia News

Indonesian teams searching a lake for a sunken ferry in the hope of recovering nearly 200 bodies trapped inside have to contend with dangerous currents and cold, murky water far deeper than any scuba diver can ever go.The over-loaded ferry Sinar Bangun sank in bad weather in Lake Toba on Sumatra island on Monday. The lake, in the crater of an ancient supervolcano, is ringed by steeply sloping mountains, and is about 450 meters (1,500 feet) deep.Three people have been confirmed…

Senior officials from the United States, Australia and Indonesia paid their respects to the crews of USS Houston (CA 30) and HMAS Perth (D 29) during a wreath laying ceremony March 1, commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the Word War II Battle of Sunda Strait. In the early morning of March 1, 1942, the cruisers Houston and Perth were sunk by the Japanese Imperial Navy in the Sunda Strait, about 60 nautical miles from Jakarta, Indonesia. During the battle, in which both ships fought to the last of their fuel and ammunition, 696 U.S. Sailors and Marines aboard Houston and 375 Australian sailors aboard Perth, including the captains of both ships, lost their lives. The wrecks remain their final resting places as war graves beneath the sea.

The U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) departed from Singapore February 2 after completing her first six-day scheduled preventive maintenance period during a maiden 16-month rotational deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the Navy reported. Beginning January 19, days after Fort Worth returned from supporting AirAsia search efforts in the Java Sea, the maintenance period included more than 400 checks of engineering, deck and combat systems, the Navy said. Compared to other Navy ship platforms, the littoral combat ship has a relatively small crew. Labor and technical support during Fort Worth's deployment is supplemented with civilian contractors who conduct most of the preventative maintenance schedule (PMS) work.

USS Sampson (DDG 102) and USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) concluded their assistance efforts January 15 after contributing more than 650 search hours to the Indonesian-led search effort for AirAsia flight QZ8501, The U.S. Navy reported. Working in coordination with the Government of Indonesia, the U.S. 7th Fleet assigned USS Sampson and USS Fort Worth to the mission shortly after the December 28 crash. USS Sampson departed from Singapore December 29 and arrived on station in the Java Sea December 30.

Indonesia's Directorate General of Marine Transport says the black box of the doomed AirAsia flight QZ 8501 has been found. A team of Indonesian navy divers on Monday retrieved one of the two black boxes from an AirAsia plane that crashed in the Java Sea two weeks ago, killing all 162 people on board, a government official said. Indonesian rescuers have located the second black box too and the search continues for the cockpit voice recorder. Flight QZ8501 lost contact with air traffic control in bad weather on December 28, less than halfway into a two-hour flight from Indonesia’s second-biggest city of Surabaya to Singapore. Divers began zeroing in on the sites a day earlier after three Indonesian ships picked up intense pings from the area…

An eight-member team from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1 onboard USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) is supporting the ongoing Indonesian-led search effort for AirAsia flight QZ8501 with advanced Tow Fish side scan sonar systems capable of providing high-resolution images of the ocean floor. The Tow Fish side scan sonar system is used to identify objects on the seafloor and provide accurate imagery for analysis. The sonar carries a passive listening device for detecting an acoustic pulse and is towed behind a vessel between 1-5 knots.

Indonesian search and rescue teams plan to start lifting the crashed AirAsia jet's tail off the sea bed on Friday, officials said, raising hopes that "black box" recorders can be retrieved to reveal the cause of the disaster. Scores of divers plunged into the Java Sea on Thursday to search the wreckage of Flight QZ8501, which vanished from radar screens on Dec. 28 less than half-way into a two-hour flight from Indonesia's second-biggest city of Surabaya to Singapore. There were no survivors among the 162 people on board. The cause of the crash remains a mystery, with hopes centering on the so-called black boxes - the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder - providing vital clues. The plane was an Airbus A320-200, which carries the recorders near the tail section.

USS Fort Worth joins USS Sampson as second U.S. Navy ship assisting with AirAsia QZ8501 search efforts. USS Sampson has been on station since December 29. Fort Worth is the littoral combat ship (LCS) on a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet and brings maneuverability, speed and a shallow draft, which allows her to conduct expeditious visual and radar searches in a congested, shallow water environment. Fort Worth is also outfitted with a MH-60R helicopter as well as two 11-meter rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) to further maximize efforts.

USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) arrived in the search area on Jan. 3, 2015 and has commenced search efforts for Air Asia flight QZ8501 at the request of the Indonesian government. It is the second US Naval Ship to join in the search. Seen the picture is the Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Norrik Hodge stands watch on the bridge wing of the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3). Fort Worth is currently on station conducting helicopter search and recovery operations as part of the Indonesian-led efforts to locate missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Antonio P. The picture below is of the Indonesian authorities at Iskander Air Base carrying the body of an AirAsia Flight QZ8501 victim transported ashore by a U.S.

USS Fort Worth joins USS Sampson (DDG 102), which has been on station since Dec. 29. Fort Worth is the littoral combat ship (LCS) on a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet and brings maneuverability, speed and a shallow draft, which allows her to conduct expeditious visual and radar searches in a congested, shallow water environment. Fort Worth is also outfitted with a MH-60R helicopter as well as two 11-meter rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) to further maximize efforts. "We offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of those affected by this terrible tragedy," said Cmdr. Kendall Bridgewater, USS Fort Worth Crew 104 commanding officer. USS Sampson has assisted with searches since she arrived on station Dec. 29. The crew recovered several bodies Jan. 1 and Jan.

USS Sampson (DDG 102) is supporting the ongoing Indonesian-led search and recovery operations for the downed AirAsia flight QZ8501 and assisted in locating the crash debris field yesterday. At the request of the Indonesian government, Sampson arrived on station in the Java Sea in the early afternoon on Dec. 30 and began assisting in the search. The ship's MH-60R search and rescue helicopters were launched to assist in the search efforts and the crews, working with multiple Indonesian assets, discovered debris late on the 30th. The ship and her helicopters are still on station and continuing to search in close coordination with Indonesian authorities. "Sampson will remain on station as long as the Indonesian government feels they are providing useful assistance," said Capt.

Indonesian rescuers searching for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people pulled bodies and wreckage from the sea off the coast of Borneo on Tuesday, prompting relatives of those on board watching TV footage to break down in tears. Indonesia AirAsia's Flight QZ8501, an Airbus A320-200, lost contact with air traffic control early on Sunday during bad weather on a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. The navy said 40 bodies had been recovered. The plane has yet to be found. "My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ8501," airline boss Tony Fernandes tweeted. "On behalf of AirAsia, my condolences to all.

Objects resembling a body, luggage, a life vest and debris suspected to be part of an AirAsia jet that disappeared over the Java Sea were spotted by a pilot involved in the search operation, domestic media reported on Tuesday. "The body seemed bloated," said First Lieutenant Tri Wibowo who was on board a Hercules aircraft during the search operation, reported the Kompas.com website. The sightings were made at around 11.00 Indonesia time, Wibowo said, after searching for around five hours. The suspected remains and debris were seen in the Karimata Strait, west of the Indonesian part of Borneo. An Airbus AIR.PA A320-200 carrying 162 people and operated by Indonesia AirAsia disappeared in poor weather on Sunday morning during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

Singapore said on Sunday it has activated its air force and navy to help in the search and rescue operation for the AirAsia jet that went missing on a flight from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore. "Two C130s are already on stand-by for this purpose. We remain ready to provide any assistance to support the search and rescue effort," the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said in a statement. A waiting area, and facilities and support have been set up for relatives at Changi Airport Terminal 2, it said. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar, Anshuman Daga and Rujun Shen; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Oil fell to four-year low of $72 on Thursday; Airlines hope the price will slip below $70 a barrel. Airlines in Asia-Pacific are holding off from hedging their fuel costs as they wait for oil to dip below $70 a barrel in hopes of securing lower prices, industry executives said on Friday. The benchmark Brent crude oil price fell more than $6 to under $72 a barrel on Thursday, its lowest since July 2010, after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries opted against cutting production even though a supply glut is pulling down prices. Airlines "hedge" some of their fuel needs - or buy fuel in advance at future, pre-determined prices - to reduce the impact on earnings of any volatility or increases in prices.