AirAsia families accept ‘sad reality’
An Indonesian whose daughter-in-law is among 56 people unaccounted for following the December crash of an AirAsia plane says his family has accepted the “sad reality” that her body would never be found.
Rescuers called off the hunt for the remaining passengers on Tuesday, almost three months after Flight QZ8501 went down in stormy weather as it flew from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, killing all 162 people on board.
The crash of the Airbus A320-200 sparked a huge international search, with ships and aircraft from several nations scouring the waters for the plane wreckage and the victims.
In recent weeks the hunt had already been scaled back, with just Indonesia’s civilian search and rescue agency involved and only a small number of new bodies found.
Early on Wednesday, the last ships involved in the search left Pangkalan Bun, the town on Borneo island which had served as a base for the hunt, said agency official S.B. Supriyadi.
A total of 106 bodies have been recovered, with the last three found at the weekend.
Hadi Widjaja, whose son and daughter-in-law were on the flight, praised rescuers for doing a “good job”.
His son has been found but his daughter-in-law remains missing. He said her family realised it was time to move on.
“Her parents and my family have let her go in peace. We have to accept this sad reality,” he said.
“The rescuers spent three months on this search operation,” he said, adding that his family “really appreciated their work”.
Eka Santoso, whose brother, sister-in-law and their two children were on the plane, said he believed if the search operation was extended, more bodies could be found, but he had accepted the decision to end it.
The body of his brother has been retrieved, but his three other relatives remain missing.
“I have already asked AirAsia and the search and rescue agency to extend the search, but I cannot do more,” said the 53-year-old, adding that he would just have to “accept that they are no longer searching for our loved ones”.
Bambang Soelistyo, head of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, said the decision to end the search had been taken after consulting the victims’ relatives at a meeting in Surabaya.
“The search should have ended much earlier but out of respect for family members, we extended the operation until we completely ended it (on Tuesday),” he said.
The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has so far shed little light on what caused the flight to crash, or what occurred in the moments before the tragedy.
It has reported that the plane climbed rapidly in an area of towering storm clouds before crashing, and that the co-pilot was at the controls, rather than the more experienced pilot, in the moments before the accident.
The plane’s black box flight data recorders have been recovered, and will provide vital clues as investigators seek to figure out what caused the crash.
Latest News
Tour Guides Australia backs Queensland Government Department of Tourism’s $2 million business capability subsidy
Tour Guides Australia has offered its full support for the Queensland Government Department of Tourism and Sport’s $2 million Tourism Business Capability Subsidy. The subsidy program is designed to boost the growth of Queensland’s tourism industry, offering up to $2,000 per eligible business to undertake targeted training and accreditation programs. “It is a significant opportunity […]
Club Med Musandam is newest addition to the resort group and a first for the Middle East
Club Med has announced the newest addition to its Exclusive Collection portfolio with the opening of Club Med Musandam, the first Club Med resort in the Middle East. Set to be unveiled in 2028, the development of Club Med Musandam marks a significant investment milestone, surpassing the $100 million mark. A ground-breaking development as a […]
Louis Vuitton champions travel in campaign featuring Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Louis Vuitton has relaunched its iconic Core Values Campaign with a new chapter that sees tennis champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Shot by industry legend Annie Leibovitz, the campaign features the tennis icons summiting a mountain together in the Dolomites of Italy with the tagline ‘There are Journeys that turn into Legends’. Together, they […]
Garuda and Singapore Airlines to offer reciprocal benefits to frequent flyers, plus explore revenue sharing arrangements
Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines will deepen their commercial partnership and offer reciprocal benefits to their frequent flyer program members, plus explore revenue sharing arrangements for flights between Indonesia and Singapore, subject to regulatory approvals. The frequent flyer program agreement was signed by Garuda Indonesia CEO Irfan Setiaputra and SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong in […]
WIN: Up your island game with Stuba’s latest wardrobe voucher competition for Aussie agents!
Can you imagine lying in this hammock in your brand new tropical outfit courtesy of Stuba, because we certainly can.
My Fiji announce an exclusive deal with new Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa
My Fiji have announced an exclusive deal with the new Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa, Fiji’s newest premium resort experience, offering exclusive packages for a limited time. Situated along the shores of Wailoaloa Beach, the resort offers 324 modern rooms, immersive amenities and world-renowned Fijian hospitality, Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort […]
Hamilton Island’s $30m family-friendly boutique hotel: ‘In the pool with the kids 30 minutes after landing’
While we all crave Qualia, we can't always leave the kids with the in-laws... shame.
Club Med’s Michelle Davies gives us the rundown on all-inclusive travel : Travel Weekly TV
Hint: at Club Med it's all 'thrown in', but Michelle does a far better job of explaining it, so we'll leave it to her.
Qantas and IndiGo pen new codeshare agreement for extra AU-India routes
Local curry house a bit too bland for you? Your journey to Masala heaven awaits.
Sydney Swans greats announced for Crown Princess cruise
Princess Cruises has partnered with the Sydney Swans to offer fans the first-ever AFL Member cruise aboard Crown Princess. This four-night voyage to Tasmania departs January 25, 2025 and guests will be able to immerse themselves in a once-in-a-lifetime Sydney Swans experience featuring special events and activities dedicated to fans. The cruise will feature Sydney […]
Most Aussies approve of sustainable travel, but the rest are over hearing about it, Booking.com report finds
Shout out to the 34% of you who are over hearing about sustainability... This article is for you!
Australia’s aviation sector COVID recovery complete, says ACCC’s Domestic Airline Competition report
Sick of the C-word? We promise not to utter it again - maybe. Even the ACCC says our recovery is complete.
Murray River Paddlesteamers offer 10 per cent commission for agents booking Australian Star sailings
The Mississippi it's not but the Murray River is promising a flash five-star cruise paddlesteamer.
Expedia’s chief technology officer and senior engineer sacked for company policy violation
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Apparently not as tech guru and top engineer get the chop post-conference.
Qantas and Virgin change tune on aviation ombudsman ahead of white paper release
Here on the news desk we're awaiting the arrival of the white paper like a new Taylor Swift album. You are too, right?
Gold Coast’s RACV Royal Pines Resort unveils 24m LED mega screen, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere
Too much screen time, or too much screen! At 24m long, this LED at RACV will be a challenge to read from left to right.
Wackadoo! Bluey’s World is set to open in Brisbane
Wackadoo! If this gets out, then the anklebiters will be booking flights themselves.
Listening to whales, followed by Ales and Prawn Tails on the Sunshine Coast
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is preparing to welcome more than 40,000 humpback whales that are making their way up the Australian east coast on their annual migration. The Sunshine Coast is one of Australia’s premier whale tourism destinations, built on its long-established whale watching cruises and Sunreef’s pioneering Swim with Whales experience, which celebrates its 10th […]
Webjet relaunches partnership with AirAsia with a huge Asia flights sale
Online travel agency Webjet has have relaunched their partnership with AirAsia with a huge Asia flights sale, available until 2 June. To give customers a greater breadth of choice and price point, hundreds of new flight options to Aussie favourite destinations have been added, including Bali, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok via AirAsia, AirAsiaX, Thai AirAsia […]
The Star addresses US takeover rumours in ASX update
Personally, we think the world would be far more interesting if ALL rumours had to be addressed in the ASX.
ATE 2024 kicks off in Melbourne welcoming over 2,600 delegates to MCEC
Very impressive turnout here! Although we imagine it's bad news if you're waiting in line for the dunny.
Vivid unveils one-of-a-kind light and sound journey on disused Sydney train lines
Curated by an artist who thanked Sydney drug dealers for helping him win an ARIA, this commute will be a bit different.
Compass Expeditions’ Burke & Wills Karumba-bound 16-day 4WD adventure
A man's not a camel! 4WD enthusiasts get to follow explorers' ill-fated path... with in-car coolers on full charge.
Luxury Lodges of Australia adds Bullo River Station outback experience to its collection
This experience is so luxury that even the wild kangaroos have been known to wear Louis Vuitton.
Virgin under fire for cruise ‘giveaway’ made near impossible
Considering it was Sir Richard Branson who awarded the prizes on Facetime, we think these guests deserve a call back!
Search continues for missing after cruise boat tragedy on the Danube claims two lives
River boat tragedy on the Danube Bend claims two lives after cruise ship collides with smaller vessel.
Africa’s Travel Indaba gives $40m boost to local economy
If you've only ever visited South Africa for the safari then now might be the right time to revisit!
Aussie joins first female-founded private jet and luxury solutions business
These women are flying high - making history as first female-founded private jet and lux business - in the Middle East!
James Hewlett announced as new marketing director at Albatross Tours
Hewlett's spreading his marketing wings with this new role at Albatross.
Why luxury clients are opting for immersive experiences over material items
The Luxury Travel Collection’s (LTC) inaugural business owners Soiree took place on Hayman Island last week. The event saw luxury leaders gathering to find out more about the key trends shaping the industry. The Immersion Day, held on Thursday 16 May 2024, followed the growing luxury client trend of valuing immersive experiences over material items. […]
Empowering underserved communities: Expedia Group’s drive for more inclusive travel
Expedia Group has used the EXPLORE conference at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas to highlight initiatives that empower underserved communities worldwide. In a groundbreaking move towards fostering diversity and inclusion within the travel industry, Expedia’s Global Social Impact and Sustainability Team is dedicated to shaping a travel landscape that is safe, welcoming, and accessible […]
P&O rescues Rotary volunteers after collapse of Air Vanuatu
P&O Cruises Australia has answered a plea for help from a group of young Australian Rotary volunteers, stranded in Vanuatu following the collapse of Air Vanuatu. The students, many of them teenagers from Albury, NSW, were volunteering for a youth project run by the Hive Rotary Club Australia when the airline abruptly cancelled all flights, […]
Intrepid continues expansions with launch of first DMC in Jordan
Intrepid has increased its presence in the Middle East with the opening of its first destination management company in Jordan. Based in Amman, the local team will operate Intrepid’s range of nine experiential small group tours in Jordan from this summer, with a view to expanding the range for 2025 and beyond. Zina Bencheikh, managing […]
Minor hotels appoints Puneet Dhawan to key Asia role
Global hotel owner and operator Minor Hotels has appointed Puneet Dhawan as head of Asia as the group plots its growth in Asia and India. From July, Dhawan will be responsible for the performance of all Minor Hotels properties in Asia, working in close collaboration with the Minor Hotels senior leadership team and will report […]
Abercrombie & Kent and Crystal appoint Evon Ler to director of sales, Asia
Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group have announced that Evon Ler will join them in the new role of director of sales, Asia. She will work closely with Tony Archbold (VP, Sales, APAC, Crystal) and Susan Haberle (VP, Sales & Partnerships, APAC, A&K) with trade support across the region. Ler comes to the A&K family with more […]
Government urges Aussies to ‘reconsider’ plans to visit Noumea as New Caledonia death toll hits five
The government has updated its advice for Aussies who may be considering New Caledonia during this time.