No Filipinos onboard missing AirAsia flight – initial reports

MANILA, Philippines – According to initial reports, there are no Filipinos onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 that went missing Sunday morning.

Department of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Charles Jose told Rappler in a text message, “So far no Filipinos reported on flight but our posts are double checking.”

In a statement, AirAsia said that there were 162 people – 155 passengers, 2 pilots and 5 crew members – on board flight QZ8501, broken down by nationality as follows: 156 Indonesians, 3 South Koreans (including an infant), one French, one Singaporean, and one Malaysian national.

The Indonesian Transportation Ministry on Sunday released a copy of the flight’s passenger manifest.

AirAsia flight QZ8501 was due to land at Singapore’s Changi Airport at around 8:30 am Singapore time, after departing from Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport at around 5:30 am local time.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said the plane lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control while it was in Indonesian air space.

“AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24hrs this morning,” AirAsia said in a statement. – Michael Bueza/Rappler.com