Airbus announces to provide full assistance for investigation of QZ 8501

Airbus confirmed Sunday, in a press release, to provide full assistance to the authorities in charge of investigation of an A320-200 operated by AirAsia Indonesia that lost contact with air traffic control this Sunday morning.[Special coverage]

The missing aircraft involved is MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 3648, registered as PK-AXC and was delivered to AirAsia from the production line in October 2008, said Airbus, adding that the aircraft, powered byCFM-56-5B engines, had accumulated approximately 23,000 flight hours in some 13,600 flights.

In line with the ICAO Annex 13 international convention, Airbus will provide full assistance to the French safety investigation authority, the European Aviation Safety Agency BEA, and to the authorities in charge of the investigation. More information will be available once the detail have been confirmed and cleared by the authorities, said Airbus.

Flight QZ 8501, with 155 passengers and seven crew members on board, including 16 children and an infant, was on the submitted flight plan route when it lost contact with the air traffic control about 42 minutes after its takeoff at 5:35 a.m. local time (2235 GMT Saturday). It is scheduled to land at 8:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT).

The missing aircraft A320 is one model of the Airbus A320 family aircrafts. It is a twin-engine single-aisle aircraft seating up to 180 passengers in a single-class configuration. According to Airbus, the entire fleet has accumulated, to date, some 154 million flight hours in some 85 million flights.

The thoughts of the Airbus management and staff are with all those affected by Flight QZ 5801, concluded the press release by Airbus.