My heart filled with sadness, AirAsia CEO says after spotting of debris

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 30: AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes on Tuesday expressed his grief to the kin of 162 people on board Flight QZ8501 after wreckage of the missing plane and bodies were spotted at sea.

Fernandes, who played a big role in AirAsia's turnaround, said in a tweet: "My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ 8501. On behalf of AirAsia my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am."

On Sunday, Fernandes remarked that the disappearance of the flight after take-off was his worst nightmare. The Singapore-bound flight sought permission to change its route due to bad weather soon after taking off from Surabaya in Indonesia but lost control thereafter. The plane was carrying 155 passengers including 17 children and seven crew members.

In another tweet posted a minute later, Fernandes said he was rushing to Surabaya where the relatives of the ill-fated passengers gathered.

In March, a Malaysia Airflines Flight MH 370 disappeared soon after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing with 239 people on board. The flight could not be found again despite a massive manhunt.

Oneindia News