The search for the AirAsia flight QZ8501 that went missing above the Java Sea on Sunday with 162 people on board, has been resumed.

The head of the Indonesian search-and-rescue agency Bambang Soelistyo suggested that the plane can be at the bottom of the sea, the BBC reports.

However no traces of it have been found yet, as the search teams were just reaching the area of the plane's supposed location in the Java Sea.

The plane took off on a flight to Singapore from the Indonesian city of Surabaya early on Sunday.

Before the Airbus A320-200 disappeared from the radar screens, the pilots had requested a redirection of their course due to bad weather conditions and dense storm clouds.

As night fell over the area of Beitung island the search was suspended, with the main search vessels and planes resuming their activity on Monday.

Soelistyo said that the country has provided 12 ships, 3 helicopters and 5 military aircraft.

Malaysia was to deploy a C-130 plane together with three ships, with Singapore supplying another C-130, and Australia also providing help.

The CEO of AirAsia Tony Fernandes expressed the company's concern for the families of the passengers and the crew.

The Airbus was delivered in 2008 and has completed 23 000 hours, undergoing its last maintenance in November.

Although the AirAsia Group has not had any fatal accidents before, it has been a difficult year for Malaysia's national carrier.

The BBC reminds that Malaysia Airlines suffered two losses earlier this year – flights MH370 and MH17.

AirAsia said in a statement that the number of passengers on board was 155 – 137 adults, 17 children and one infant.

The majority of them were Indonesian nationals, as well as three South Koreans, one British, a Malaysian and a Singaporean.

The crew consisted of seven members – six Indonesian and one French nationals.

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