5:35 pm

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has confirmed that it is linking up with Indonesian authorities to help locate the missing plane. Australia and Malaysia have also offered assistance.

The authority's statement reads:

Indonesia has accepted Singapore's offer to assist in the search and locate efforts of the missing Indonesia AirAsia aircraft, QZ8501.

The Singapore Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC), managed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and supported by various agencies, including the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), had offered assistance to BASARNAS, the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency, at 0930 hours local time, this morning.

We have offered our planes and ships to assist in the search, and received confirmation from the Indonesian authorities this afternoon at 1430 hours to accept our offer, requesting for one C130 for now. We have already launched it to assist with the search and locate efforts.

5:30 pm

China's Foreign Ministry said it is closely monitoring developments in missing AirAsia flight QZ8501.

China is deeply worried about the safety of the passengers and crew and offers condolences to their families, Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.

5:10 pm

Malaysia's China Press reports there is no terrorism link in the disapearance of AirAsia flight QZ8501.

4:50 pm

A C-130, a military transport aircraft, from Singapore has been launched to assist with the search efforts of 8501 plane - The Straits Times.

4:30pm

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted that he is on his way "to Surabaya where most of the passengers are from" and that he will "provide information".

Family members of passengers on board AirAsia flight QZ 8501 talk on their phones while waiting for information inside a crisis centre at Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java Dec 28, 2014 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. [Photo/Agencies]

4:20 pm

Joko Widodo, Indonesia's president, has given a press conference on the missing plane.

His wife Iriana tweeted a comment that translates in English as "The president prays that the entire crew and passengers of AirAsia QZ8501 can be found safely," according to the Guardian.

3:20pm

Indonesian transport officials have confirmed the pilot's name as Iriyanto (Indonesians often go by a single name). The co-pilot, who is French, has been named as Remi Emmanuel Plesel. - the guardian

3:10pm

AirAsia flight 8501 from Surabaya to Singapore is believed to have crashed at the location 03.22.46 South and 108.50.07 East, in waters around 145 kilometers from Belitung, the Jakarta Globe quoted an Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) official as saying. The news has not been officially confirmed.

People related to passengers of AirAsia flight QZ 8501 arrive at a holding area for next-of-kins and relatives at Changi Airport in Singapore Dec 28, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

3:00pm

No distress signal was sent, says Indonesian air transport director.

"We are coordinating with rescue team and looking for its position. We believe it is somewhere between Tanjung Pandan, a town on Belitung island, and Kalimantan," AFP quoted Indonesia's air transportation director-general Djoko Murjatmodjo as saying.

Indonesia's airforce spokesman Marsma Hadi Tjahjanto confirmed that the air force was using the last point of contact to conduct an air search.

2:48pm

Aviation journalist John Walton has tweeted a picture of the approximate last known location of the flight.

2:39pm

Very sad to hear that AirAsia Indonesia 8501 is missing. My thoughts are with the families. Malaysia stands ready to help, says Malaysia's Prime Minister Mohd Najib Tun Razak in a statement

2:24pm

Revised list of nationalities on board

The break-down of nationalities on board flight 8501 has been revised again by AirAsia on its Facebook page. It now stands at:

1 Singapore

1 Malaysia

1 France

3 South Korea

156 Indonesia

2:16pm

Singapore's military planes and vessels are on standby to help with the search-and-rescue operation for the missing AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen wrote on his Facebook page.

2:02pm

Families of those on board the aircraft have started arriving at Changi airport, Singapore, they have been ushered into a special holding area at Terminal 2.

A Changi Airport staff holds up a sign to direct possible next-of-kins of passengers of AirAsia flight QZ 8501 from Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, at Changi Airport in Singapore December 28, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

1:56pm

According to Djoko Atmojo, acting director general of transportation, Indonesia

At 6.12 am the plane made contact asking to ascend to 38,000 feet because of cloud.

At 6.16 am the plane was still on the radar.

At 6.18 am the plane went missing from the radar.

Last position of the plane was between Tanjung Pandan and Pontianak.

1:47pm

When it went missing, the plane still had enough fuel for four hours flying time, Michael Bachelard, Fairfax Media's Indonesia correspondent, tweeted.

1:43pm

Saddened to hear of missing flight QZ8501. My thoughts are with the passengers and their families, says Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

1:39pm

AirAsia statement

AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 (Surabaya LT) this morning. The flight took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 0535hours.

The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC. There were two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer on board.

The captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours

There were 155 passengers on board, with 138 adults, 16 children and 1 infant. Also on board were 2 pilots and 5 cabin crew.

Nationalities of passengers and crew onboard are as below:

1 Singapore

1 Malaysia

1 France

3 South Korean

156 Indonesia

At this time, search and rescue operations are being conducted under the guidance of The Indonesia of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). AirAsia Indonesia is cooperating fully and assisting the investigation in every possible way.

The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to enroute weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control (ATC).

The aircraft had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on 16 November 2014.

AirAsia has established an Emergency Call Centre that is available for family or friends of those who may have been on board the aircraft. The number is: +622129850801.

AirAsia will release further information as soon as it becomes available. Updated information will also be posted on the AirAsia website, www.airasia.com.

1:34pm

Nationalities of passengers and crew onboard are as below: 1 Singapore, 1 Malaysia 3, South Korean and 157 Indonesia

01:25pm

Missing AirAsia flight had asked to fly at higher altituide to avoid clouds: Indonesian official

01:14pm

Heavy thunderstorms where AirAsia #QZ8501 was flying, says CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam.

01:10pm

The Indonesian air force has said is using the last known point of contact with the plane as the basis for its search. The Singapore rescue coordination centre, the Singapore air force and Singapore navy are assisting, according to the Guardian.

01:07pm

Obama briefed on missing AirAsia flight 8501 and White House officials will continue to monitor situation: White House spokesman.

01:03pm

Indonesian media outlet Kompas is reporting that the plane crashed in Belitung, an island between Java and Sumatra. The report is unconfirmed, says the Guardian.

The paper adds that East Belitung Water Police are "currently coordinating with local fishermen to determine which boats have passed through the areas in which the plane might have crashed."