KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — Channel News Asia has been hit by a barrage of criticism for a Facebook post stating that Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 “landed safely” today at Changi airport.

The report is causing confusion as the Indonesian airline did not discontinue the code for the flight that disappeared while flying from Surabaya to Singapore yesterday morning.

Facebook users quickly criticised the news outlet for the misleading information, saying it did not make clear that the airline code had not been retired pending the discovery of the missing plane.

Indonesia AirAsia also came in for brickbats for its decision to keep using the flight code even as searchers continue looking for the jetliner.

“Dear Channel News Asia, People are not interested of the news of today's flight which landed safely. You are so insensitive by reporting this kind of news. What are you trying to convey?” one user named Park Sin Chez said critically.

“So the flight that went missing for a day has safely landed at Changi Airport this morning?

And everyone is safe and sound? This is what I interpreted from your headline!” wrote another by the name of Helen Chua.

Channel News Asia later amended its post to: “UPDATE: Today's AirAsia #QZ8501 flight from Surabaya to Singapore ― which took off a day after the missing flight ― has landed safely at Changi Airport, Terminal 1.”

Flight QZ8501, which carried one Malaysian on board, disappeared from radar at 6.18am local time yesterday enroute to Singapore from Surabaya in Indonesia.

On board Flight QZ8501 were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, one Malaysian, one Singaporean, one Frenchman and one Briton, comprising 155 passengers and seven crew members.

Indonesia resumed search operations for the missing jet early this morning, whose last known position was between the Indonesian port of Tanjung Pandan and the town of Pontianak, in West Kalimantan on Borneo island.