‘Tail’ found from missing AirAsia plane
Search teams may have found the tail of the missing AirAsia plane where the black box voice and flight data recorders are found.
The captain of a navy patrol vessel said it had recovered ‘what has a high probability of being the tail of the plane’, reports Reuters.
The discovery has still to be confirmed by the Indonesian search and rescue agency.
Thirty seven bodies of passengers and crew have so far been recovered, including some still strapped in their seats, following the crash on December 28.
Recovery workers believe the majority of bodies are trapped inside the wrecked fuselage, which they are certain now lies at the bottom of the relatively shallow Java Sea but it has not been spotted.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency has said seasonal tropical storms probably contributed to the accident.
The search to recover bodies and flight data recorders has also been hampered by bad weather.
A CNN report says the airline has already offered to pay ‘preliminary compensation’ of $24,000 for each of the 154 passengers onboard the flight despite Indonesian authorities saying the flight operated without approval.
The Indonesian air transport ministry said the flight was not authorized to operate on Sundays and if this is upheld the airline’s insurance company may not compensate the families.
A draft letter sent to next of kin explains the pay-out is for ‘financial hardships’ during the search for the plane.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025