Airbus NV has dispatched two experts to Jakarta to assist in the investigation of the missing A320 airliner operated by AirAsia Bhd., the budget carrier that rose from almost nothing in 2001 to become the plane maker's biggest customer.
The single-aisle jet lost contact with air traffic control Sunday morning, operating a scheduled service from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore with 155 passengers. Joining the Airbus team will be experts from France's BEA air accident investigation bureau, which routinely sends staff to probe aircraft accidents involving planes made in France.
Airbus and AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes have fostered a close relationship over the years, with the entrepreneur building his airline exclusively around jets from the Toulouse, France-based manufacturer. Their special bond was on display at this year's Farnborough Air Show, where Fernandes embraced Airbus executives on stage and lauded their longtime support, before cementing their ties with an order for 50 long-range A330neo airliners that Airbus had unveiled at the expo.