Massive search and rescue operation underway after AirAsia flight from Indonesia with 162 people on board disappears minutes after pilot asks to increase altitude to avoid 'bad weather

A flight bound for Singapore from Indonesia has lost contact with air traffic control after flying through bad weather.

An AirAsia flight that departed Surabaya on Sunday at 5.30am (Indonesian local time) was meant to land at Changi Airport at 8.30am (Singapore local time). 

It has been reported there were 155 passengers on board - including 138 adults, 16 children and 1 infant, and AirAsia have confirmed there were two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer on board. 

Nationalities of passengers and crew on-board are one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one French, three South Koreans and 156 Indonesians.  

There is an unconfirmed report of a wreckage being found east of Belitung Island in the Java sea....dailymail