I

ndonesia is mourning the loss of dozens of lives on board the Russian-made Sukhoi 100 Superjet that crashed on Wednesday. The nation agonized overnight while waiting for news after the plane went missing during a demonstration flight.

The Superjet left Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma Airport with 45 people on board. On Thursday morning, we learned the worst had happened. Search and rescue workers found the wreckage of the plane on the slope of Mt. Salak, near Bogor. As of Thursday, there were no signs of survivors, but there is always hope, no matter how slim.

Our hearts go out to the victims of the tragedy and the relatives they left behind. Onboard the plane were senior executives of some of Indonesia’s commercial airline companies, journalists, civil aviation officials, employees of Sukhoi and the Russian embassy.

Sukhoi chose Indonesia as one of the first Asian countries to promote its newest product, the Superjet, marking its debut into the lucrative civilian aircraft business dominated by Boeing of the US and Airbus of the European Union. Indonesia’s airline business is experiencing a boom period, so much so that we have seen the emergence and growth of new commercial carriers, some of which had sent their executives to take part in the Sukhoi flight this week.

We should suspend any judgment about the plane pending the outcome of to official investigation. We know that the plane had acquired certification from the European Union’s aviation authority. We have also learned that the Halim control tower lost all contact with the plane shortly after the pilot requested to descend.

As always, a tragedy of this proportion brings the nation together. This time is no exception. The loss of so many lives is a loss for the entire nation. It was fitting for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to address the issue and express grief on behalf of the nation on Thursday.

We appreciate the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) for its fine and professional handling of the case and for patiently explaining to the anxious public the steps taken to locate the plane. We also place our complete trust and confidence in the National Commission for Transportation Safety (KNKT) in leading the investigation, with the support of the Sukhoi team, to determine the cause of the accident.