Debris is 'from AirAsia plane': Indonesian civil aviation chief

[JAKARTA] Debris spotted on Tuesday during an aerial search for AirAsia flight QZ8501 is from the missing plane, Indonesia's director general of civil aviation told AFP.

"For the time being it can be confirmed that it's the AirAsia plane and the transport minister will depart soon to Pangkalan Bun," Djoko Murjatmodjo said.

"Based on the observation by search and rescue personnel, significant things have been found such as a passenger door and cargo door. It's in the sea, 100 miles (160 kilometres) southwest of Pangkalan Bun," he said, referring to the town in Central Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo.

Indonesian aerial searchers earlier on Tuesday spotted items resembling an emergency slide and plane door in the sea as they hunted for traces of the AirAsia plane which disappeared Sunday in a storm over the Java Sea with 162 people on board.

AFP