On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 completely vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, marking one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history.
The aircraft which was carrying 239 passengers and crew suddenly lostq communication and disappeared from the radar screens. This led to a global search effort that continues even after 11years of disappearance. Despite being unresolved, the full story of MH370 triggered much needed transformation in aviation safety and flight tracking systems.
The shocking loss of MH370 exposed major vulnerabilities in how aircrafts are tracked, especially while travelling over remote oceanic regions. Generally, commercial jets used to rely on radar coverage, which unfortunately becomes limited over vast oceans. Moreover, communication between air traffic control and pilots was largely dependent on radio and transponders, which can be manually turned off. During investigation, it came into limelight that MH370’s transponder was deactivated, which caused scarcity of real-time data to determine flight’s final path.
Understanding the need for improved flight tracking and communication, global aviation regulators, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), introduced a couple of reforms to improve safety and prevent any such incidents.
One of the most substantial changes was the implementation of Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) by ICAO. As per new guidelines, all commercial flight should automatically transmit their location every 15 minutes, which is a major improvement from the previous system. Moreover, the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology has also been widely adopted. Unlike conventional radar, ADS-B allows aircraft to broadcast their real-time position, speed, and altitude via satellite. This system has improved situational awareness, particularly over remote areas like Indian Ocean, where MH370 was suspected to have disappeared.
Along with that, aircraft manufacturers have integrated flight data streaming capabilities into newer models, allowing critical flight data, engine performance and altitude, to be directly transmitted in real-time to airline operators. These advancements made easier detection of any deviation from the planned route.
The search for MH370 was greatly dependent on conventional Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVRs) and Flight Data Recorders (FDRs)—known as "black boxes." However, these devices usually store only the last two hours of cockpit conversations, sometimes insufficient in a prolonged crisis like MH370 case.
After the incident, ICAO mandated that future CVRs should store minimum 25 hours of recording time, ensuring more detailed cockpit conversations retrieval. Moreover, the battery life of underwater locator beacons, used to detect black boxes in case of deep-sea crashes, has also been extended from 30 to 90 days allowing an extended search window.
MH370 raised some serious concerns about the possibility of involvement of pilots in aircraft disappearance. Despite no official conclusions, globally there was a push for stricter mental health screenings and psychological assessments of flight crew.
Numerous airlines now conduct randomized psychological evaluations and associated protocols to ensure that at least two crew members stay in the cockpit throughout the journey. Additionally, airlines have come up with advanced pilot training programs to prepare crews for emergency scenarios.
The tragedy of MH370 shook the world, but at the same time, it served as a catalyst for advancements in aviation safety. Since the mysterious disappearance, several reforms greatly enhanced flight tracking, black box technology, and pilot safety protocols.
The lessons learned from MH370 dissapeance continues to shape the future of aviation, ensuring safer skies for passengers across globe.
