Two transport ministry officials and five airport operators who allowed AirAsia Flight QZ8501 to take off without proper permits, have been suspended, according to the Indonesian Transportation Ministry.

Previously, the ministry found out that Flight QZ8501 was not authorised to fly on December 28 as it did, leading to the crash when it went down to the Java Sea en route from Subaraya, Indonesia to Singapore.

Of the 162 people on board, no survivors have been found.

The airline has been banned from flying that route while an investigation is being conducted.

Rough seas, bad weather and undercurrents made it difficult to find the fuselage and black boxes of the ill-fated aircraft, said Chief of the Indonesia National Search and Rescue Agency Bambang Soelistyo.

He also said the US naval ship USS Fort Worth on January 7 detected two large metal objects on the seabed at a depth of 28 metres and is now trying to identify them.

To date, seven large objects have now been located on the ocean floor that could be pieces of the fuselage. However, strong currents, silt and mud have been hindering divers from reaching them.

In other news, AirAsia has offered an initial compensation of about 84,900 RM (24,000 USD) for each victim.-VNA