Indonesia AirAsia's Flight QZ8501, an Airbus A320-200, lost contact with air traffic control early on Sunday during bad weather on a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.
The navy said 40 bodies had been recovered, but the plane had not been found.
The airline boss, Tony Fernandes, said ''my heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ8501.
''On behalf of AirAsia, my condolences to all, words cannot express how sorry I am.’’
The airline had said in a statement that it was inviting family members to Surabaya, where a dedicated team of care providers would be assigned to each family to ensure that all of their needs were met.
Pictures of floating bodies were broadcast on television and relatives of the missing persons had already gathered at a crisis centre in Surabaya weeping with heads in their hands, while several people collapsed in grief and were helped away.
The Mayor of Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini, said ``you have to be strong, they are not ours, they belong to God’’, as she comforted relatives.
Meanwhile, Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo, the Head of Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters that a plane door, oxygen tanks and one body had been recovered and taken away by helicopter for tests.
Fransiskus, who said the search operation would go on all night, added that ``the challenge is waves up to three meters high and declined to answer questions on whether any survivors had been found.
About 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the U.S. have been involved in the search.
The plane, which did not issue a distress signal, disappeared after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather because of heavy air traffic, officials said.
The officials said it was earlier travelling at 32,000 feet and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet.
Pilots and aviation experts said thunderstorms and requests to gain altitude to avoid them were not unusual in that area.
However, the airline said ''the Indonesian pilot was experienced and the plane last underwent maintenance in mid-November.’’
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