AirAsia Group founder and CEO Tony Fernandes said on Wednesday it was "soul destroying" to see the bodies and remains of the doomed flight QZ8501.
"Reality of seeing the evacuees and some of my aircraft parts are soul destroying," Fernandes said in a tweet.
"But we stay strong for the families, Allstars (AirAsia staff) and our guests," he added.
He said he was on his way back to Surabaya, where the flight had taken off on Sunday morning en route to Singapore, shortly before plunging into the Java Sea amid stormy weather.
"On my way back to Surabaya. I'm touched again by the warmth of everyone in Indonesia and so impressed with Basenas and army," tweeted Fernandes, referring to Basarnas, Indonesia's national search and rescue agency which is leading a multinational operation to locate and recover the remains of the flight and everyone onboard.
