REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, HONOLULU -- US President Barack Obama was briefed on the disappearance of AirAsia flight 8501 on Sunday, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.
Obama was briefed on the situation while on vacation with his family in Hawaii. The flight lost contact with air traffic control in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Singapore said on Sunday it has activated its air force and navy to help in the search and rescue operation for the AirAsia jet that went missing on a flight from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore.
"Two C130s are already on stand-by for this purpose. We remain ready to provide any assistance to support the search and rescue effort," the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said in a statement.
A waiting area, and facilities and support have been set up for relatives at Changi Airport Terminal 2, it said.