SINGAPORE - Indonesia and Singapore have mobilized search and rescue operations to locate an AirAsia airbus A320 that went missing early Sunday.

Flight QZ 8501 was flying to Singapore from the Indonesian city of Surabaya when it lost contact with air control tower.

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It was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members.  The passengers include 149 Indonesians, three Koreans, one British, one Malaysian and one Singaporean.

Indonesia's transport ministry said the plane left Surabaya at 5:20 a.m. local time on Sunday, and was due to land at Singapore's Changi airport at 8:30 a.m.  

The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers an before its scheduled landing, somewhere between Kalimantan and Belitung island.

Shortly before the plane went missing, the pilot had asked to take an "unusual route" due to bad weather in the area, according to transport ministry official Hadi Mustofa Djuraid.

Air Asia has confirmed in an official statement that the plane, an airbus A320-200, had gone missing and that they are cooperating with search and rescue teams to locate it.

"AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 hrs this morning,'' the airline said.

Singapore, known for its efficient emergency response systems, is preparing to initially dispatch a C130 to locate the plane.

Air Asia has set up an emergency communications center to assist family and friends of those on board Flight 8501. Those needing assistance may call +622 1298-50801.

Air Asia is a Malaysian budget airline based in Kuala Lumpur with subsidiaries in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and India.

Two other Malaysian airlines have figured in major flight disasters this year.

In March, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-370 went missing en route to Beijing with 239 people on board and has yet to be found.

In July, Malaysia Airline Flight MH-17 was shot down by rebel forces over Ukraine, killing its 298 passengers and crew.

TagsAirAsia, Flight 8501