Updates 11-1-2015: It has been reported that on Sunday Indonesian divers found the crucial black box flight recorders of the AirAsia plane that crashed in the Java Sea a fortnight ago with 162 people aboard but they failed to retrieve it immediately from the seabed because it was stuck under debris from the main body of the plane.
Updates 10-1-2015: The Indonesian investigators have found and lifted up the tail of the crashed AirAsia flight QZ-8501 but no black box was found, HERE.
Updates 9-1-2015: Jakarta Post reported: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was concerned with the slow compensation payments to next of kin of passengers on board the AirAsia flight QZ8501, Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan says, HERE.
On 7-1-2015 AirAsia has confirmed that it was offering family members of passengers on Flight QZ8501 monetary compensation following the Dec. 28 crash. It had also said it was conferring with families individually to show its “good intention”.
“The airline offered family members of each passenger aboard the A320 jet initial compensation of almost US$24,000 following its crash in the Java Sea with no known survivors, according to a letter seen by The Wall Street Journal. Some families have declined the offer without further information about compensation, citing confusion over the wording of the letter and reservations about the airline’s practice of approaching families individually.” For full report read HERE.
We were shocked by the above news report but extremely pleased with the AirAsia’s generousity when it offered a compensation of USD$24,000.00 to family of each passenger who was killed in the crash of AirAsia QZ8501.
Yours truly would like to thank a reader and regular contributor, IT.Scheiss, for alerting yours truly of the Jakarta Post report, which has quoted the very strong statements from the Mayor of Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini.
Below is the said Jakarta Post with the headlines:
Surabaya govt could sue AirAsia over insurance issue
By Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Archipelago | Thu, January 08 2015, 9:51 AM
Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini says her administration is ready to sue AirAsia should it ignore the rights of the families of passengers on flight QZ8501, following the suspension of the airline’s flight permit from the East Java city to Singapore.
“If the insurance claims fail to be honored, then as the flight was regarded illegal, we will fight and sue AirAsia because life insurance is part of the passengers’ families’ rights and must be upheld by the company,” said the mayor, who is widely known as Risma, in Surabaya, on Wednesday.
Risma said her administration had also consulted with legal experts from Airlangga University on the fears of most families regarding the difficulties in disbursing insurance funds, after the Transportation Ministry regarded the Surabaya-Singapore flight on Dec. 28 as illegitimate.
“Although the flight was stated as illegal, passengers bought the tickets legally. They didn’t buy the tickets through scalpers, or illicitly, so they have rights regarding insurance,” said Risma.
The mayor said her administration continued to collect data on the victims, including their valuable belongings.
The data would later be used for insurance purposes and matters related to the beneficiary rights of the affected families.
“The bodies of some victims have yet to be recovered, so who will be entitled to the insurance claim? It’s no easy task, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I’m only helping the victims’ families,” said Risma.
Risma added her administration had also communicated with banks in Surabaya and the central bank, Bank Indonesia, to keep in place assets owned by the victims, such as fixed deposits, mutual funds and other valuables.
As reported earlier, AirAsia flight QZ8501 crashed in the Karimata Strait around 40 minutes into its journey from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya to Changi Airport, Singapore on Dec. 28, 2014.
It was recently revealed that the plane, carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members, had flown illegally because according to a letter issued by the Air Transportation Directorate General dated Oct. 24, 2014, on overseas flights during the winter period from 2013 to 2015, AirAsia Indonesia was allowed to operate Surabaya-Singapore flights only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
A relative of a victim, Joko Santoso, said AirAsia had yet to discuss insurance with the victims’ relatives.
AirAsia has only given forms for the initial compensation of Rp 300 million (US$25,000) per victim.
“In a meeting with victims’ families, AirAsia said it would pay the remaining compensation, but did not mention the total amount of compensation,” said Joko.
AirAsia Indonesia president director Sunu Widiyatmoko said the airline had ensured each victim would receive Rp 1.25 billion in compensation, which would be disbursed when the recovery and identification process was complete.
“We will never shun our responsibility. From the start, we’ve promised to provide compensation. However, for the sake of the relatives’ feelings, we never disclose the amount of compensation to the public,” said Sunu.
Below is the link to the Jakarta Post’s report:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/01/08/surabaya-govt-could-sue-airasia-over-insurance-issue.html#sthash.ifTTpcW2.dpuf
In the light of the above statements by the Mayor of Surabaya and the statements of AirAsia representative, Tan Sri Tony Fernandez is now duty bound to assure the family of the passengers on board of QZ8501 that in the event that the insurer failed to honour the insurance policy for the said QZ8501, he and AirAsia will honour all legitimate claims made by the family of the 162 innocent passengers and crew of QZ8501.
If it is found flight QZ8501 was illegal, the families should also sue Tony Fernandes and the other directors at AirAsia for manslaughter just as the Koreans did for the Suwon Ferry Disaster.
No wonder Tony Fernandez is keeping very quiet and no press conferences. He should just come out to challenge the Indonesian Minister of Transport and produce the letter of approval for flight QZ8501. That will be the end of the matter. Stop bullshitting. You are now caught red handed and unable to get out. The families of the innocent passengers are lucky to have a good Mayor to stand for them. Now Everyone Know The Truth.
Now Everyone Can Sue!!! If the Sunday Flight is rightfully not allowed, then they are in for a whopping beating. My suspicion is that the airline operate like a cowboy business there, especially with TF.. No wonder AA flourished so fast.
The modus operandi is the cowboy style. Now he is in the big lump of shit. Now Everyone Can Sit Back & Watch The Collapse of The Empire. Ha Ha Ha! When you don’t hear from the Pariah then he is confirmed to be in deep shit. The Mayor’s warning was most timely. It is a clear warning to him to stop playing the fool in Indonesia. Hooray!
The situation is getting clearer. That Red Indian is telling all the lies and full of pretenses. It is clear that there is no approval for flight QZ8501. The insurance company will not honour the policy because of breach of condition. Just like our car insurance. If the driver license had expired and there was an accident, the insurance company is not liable to pay for the damage. The same here.
The Red Indian thought that he could do it like in Malaysia where AirAsia can owe more than RM100 million Airport Taxes, which it had collected from the passengers. After 10 years it paid up with a discount. Thank to the Pak Lah Administration. The Red Indian tried to owe Airport Tax in Indonesia and its flight was not allowed to take off. How shameful, it had to pay in cash. Now flying without valid permit.
The Red Indian and AirAsia are a disgrace to Malaysia.
I hope that our DCA will do a proper audit on all AirAsia aircraft to make sure that they are airworthy.
I agree AirAsia is crashing down like QZ8051. If you holding the shares better get rid before it is too late.
Thump up to the Mayor of Surabaya. Until now Tony Fernandez is still unable to produce a single shred of evidence that QZ8501 had permit. Tony have been caught in his own games I.e. Lying through his teeth. With lies of Tony, The Indonesian authorities should ban all AirAsia flights until Tony own up to his lies.
It is rather curious as to why our local media, whether mainstream, alternative or most blogs are rather silent on this.
Stay tuned to the Jakarta Post and Kompas
http://www.thejakartapost.com/
http://www.kompas.com/
The Pariah is good at getting the journalists in his pocket. BK Sidhu, the editor of the Star Business is a very good example. She is more like a spokewoman for the pariah and AirAsia. Please don’t be surprised when adverse news about AirAsia or AirAsia X was not published in local media or portals. Anyway we have foreign press to rely on. The Pariah cannot do anymore covering up job because he couldn’t control the Civil Aviation, Minister of Transport, Mayor or Surabaya and President of Indonesia. In Malaysia he could get that pondan Minister of Transport to play game with him.
it shows you the level of command they have over the local media.
That has always been their main asset, trying to influence the public’s opinion & making sure they get all the good comments handed down to them. Their staff seem to buy the hype & think they are such hotshots in the aviation industry.
They’re nothing but a bunch of low class clowns
Thank God that the Indonesian Authorities are not playing ball with the pariah and his outfit. Now you don’t see the Pariah in press conference anymore. He knew too well that Now Everyone Knew About His Bullshit. I do agree that he can still buillshit his way in Malaysia because we have a useless DCA and Minister of Transport. With the massive problems in QPR, QZ8501 and competition, the end is very very near for AirAsia and the Pariah because they live on hypes and publicities. Catherham is finished. We must make sure that the Malaysian government will not bail out AirAsia and the pariah.
When you bullshit your way around that you will end up in the shit.
Now Everyone Can See He Could No Longer Twist & Turn Anymore. He is in a fix and the D day is coming for him!
After the Indonesian Authorities have taken a tough stand against AirAsia, Tony Fernandez is no where to be seen. For a start no more press conference with the mat salleh slang. I think we should lodge a police report on missing person. Ka!Ka!Ka! GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH.
What is USD24,000 compared to the lives lost??? If SQ could fork out USD400,000 to the families and next of kin of those perished in the SQ006 disaster in Taipei in 2000, I’m sure the pariah and his 6 times world champion (only because the likes of Indigo in India et al, refuse to play ball with Edward and his cronies at Skywards) can do better than SQ in 2015.
After all, didn’t the pariah boast that he would buy SQ one day. Let’s see if he can do what SQ did for its passengers. The pariah is so full of shit.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2000/11/05/0000059968
The Pariah buying over Singapore Airline? He must be dreaming! If Pak Lah is the PM of Singapore then it may be possible. AirAsia was able to owe More than RM120 million airport taxes which it didn’t handover to the the airport authority. The Pariah thought that the families of the Indonesian passengers are just as pariah as he is to be pleased with the USD24,000. Glad that they told the pariah to FO when he was trying to approach them individually. I hope that the Indonesian Autgorities will come down hard on the Pariah and his low caste airline.
The pariah thrives in publicities. Spoilt by journalist/mercenary like BK Sidhu from Star Busines. Now the pariah had to live with adverse publicities which he had never experienced before and he has no control. He put the Bk Sidhu and Star in the pocket but he is unable to put Jakarta Post, Konpas, BBC, CNN and etc in his pocket. They put him in his pocket instead. The Pariah will be finished sooner than expected.