JAKARTA - Indonesia President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Monday all the country's forces have been deployed in the search effort for missing Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501, and urged everyone involved to do their utmost to support the operation.

Speaking at a media briefing the Basarnas (national search and rescue agency) headquarters in Jakarta, Jokowi said: "Let's do our utmost to support the search operations. Let's pray God support our efforts and all passengers will be found.

"I have also instructed transport minister to check all SOP as preventive and improvement measures.

"Weather agency must improve updating weather update so airlines can more optimally use their data," said the president, who was inaugurated only two months ago.

But, he admitted: "We have to be frank that up to now there is not yet any indication as to where the plane is."

Ships and planes from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea are combing an area in the Java Sea for the A320 jet which went missing on Sunday morning enroute from Surabaya to Singapore.