Families of passengers onboard missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 have been left wondering what has become of their loved ones as the search for the missing plane is called off.
A search and rescue operation had been underway to try and find the jet, which disappeared from radar systems at 07.24am local time.
The plane was flying between Indonesia and Singapore, and was scheduled to land at 8.30am local time.
The nationalities of those onboard include one Briton, one French, one Malaysian, one Singaporean and 156 Indonesians.
AirAsia released a statement on Facebook reading: “[It] regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07.24hrs this morning.
“At the present time, we unfortunately have no further information regarding the status of the passengers and crew members on board, but we will keep all parties informed as more information becomes available.
“At this time, search and rescue operations are in progress and AirAsia is cooperating fully and assisting the rescue service.”
Malaysia Airlines- who lost two planes over the course of 2014- tweeted their support for the families of those onboard the missing jet: “Our thoughts are with the passengers' families as they await further news.”