The Indonesian president today offered his condolences to the families of those aboard AirAsia Flight QZ8501, debris from which has now been found.

Speaking before a news conference, President Joko Widodo urged relatives of the victims to remain strong in the face of a "difficult moment".

"I pray for your strength in facing this tragedy," he said.

Widodo also thanked all those who had helped in the search, and said that finding the bodies of victims would be the first priority.

"I...just came back from the search location a couple of hours ago and saw the situation for myself. First thing tomorrow morning, all ships and helicopters will carry out a massive operation to carry out the retrieval process," he said.

The President did not, however, offer any details regarding the reason for the plane's crash, and the press conference lasted just 30 minutes in total.

Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes, has said he is "absolutely devastated" by the incident. "This is a very difficult moment for all of us at AirAsia as we await further developments of the search and rescue operations but our first priority now is the wellbeing of the family members of those onboard QZ8501," he said in a statement released today.

Fernandes had earlier thanked people for praying, and encouraged his staff to "pray hard" as the search for the missing flight continued. Following news that pieces of wreckage had been found, and bodies retrieved, he expressed his condolences to all those affected.

According to the Telegraph's Tom Philips, Fernandes said he was "pretty broken up" over the crisis.

"I apologise profusely for what has happened," he reportedly said. "I can't really put into words how I feel right now."

The official Twitter account for AirAsia today posted this message:

Malaysia Airlines also offered its condolances, after itself losing two planes in seperate disasters this year.

"As an airline that has recently experienced such great sadness, we stand in solidarity to offer our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy and with the team at AirAsia," the airline wrote on its Facebook page.

"This is indeed a sad time for everyone working in aviation and for all guests who fly. We urge everyone to stay strong during this extremely trying time and to always respect the grieving families."

Relatives of the victims have been gathered at the Surabaya international airport as they await news. The Council of Churches Malaysia yesterday wrote on its Facebook page: "Our hearts go out to all the families who in anguish are awaiting news of the whereabouts of the plane.

"In the meantime churches throughout the country will join all other Malaysians in lighting of candles and praying for the families."

The Airbus A320-200 disappeared over the Java Sea just five minutes after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather on Sunday. The plane did not issue a distress signal.