MH370: Malaysia proposes a real-time aircraft tracking system

Malaysia has proposed to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to reassess the need to introduce a real-time commercial aircraft tracking system in light of the Malaysian Airlines (MAS) MH370 disappearance.

This was proposed in a preliminary report on the disappearance of flight MH370 submitted by Malaysia to ICAO on April 9.

"While commercial air transport aircraft spend considerable amounts of time operating over remote areas, there is currently no requirement for real time tracking of these aircraft,” the report stated.

The report by Malaysian Air Accident Investigation Bureau referenced two incidents in the past five years where a commercial flight disappeared and its last known location cannot be traced accurately.

The absence of such information makes it difficult for detecting the aircraft immediately, added the five-page report, which included a recap of all the information released over time.

The preliminary report was released together with the audio recording of the verbal exchanges between the MH370 cockpit and the air traffic control center of Kuala Lumpur, together with the list of cargo and passenger seating.

The now public record also contained information of the details of actions taken by the authorities between the hours of 1:38 am to 6:14 am Saturday, March 8 after the MAS could no longer detect its aircraft.

The report also attached a map showing the possible routes flight MH370 could have taken after it turned back from the Igari track in the South China Sea, and the location where it is said to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

“These flight paths differ based on different projections of the aircraft’s speed, shown on the map in knots,” the media statement by the Ministry of Transport stated.

MH370 aircraft on route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing recorded a turn back from its original route about an hour after the flight took off and then disappeared from the radar more than 50 days ago.