In Memoriam

The 239 People

The passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

Last reviewed: March 2024

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 carried 239 people — 227 passengers and 12 crew members. They came from 14 countries. They were artists, engineers, parents, children, newlyweds, and colleagues. They have not been found. Their families continue to seek answers.

This page is a factual record. It is not a substitute for the memorials maintained by the families themselves.

239 Total on board
227 Passengers
12 Crew members
14 Nationalities

Nationalities

🇨🇳China153
🇲🇾Malaysia38
🇮🇩Indonesia7
🇦🇺Australia6
🇮🇳India5
🇫🇷France4
🇺🇸United States3
🇳🇿New Zealand2
🇺🇦Ukraine2
🇨🇦Canada2
🇷🇺Russia1
🇳🇱Netherlands1
🇹🇼Taiwan1
🇦🇹Austria1

Flight Crew

Captain / Pilot in Command
Zaharie Ahmad Shah
Age 53 · Malaysian · 18,365 total flight hours · Joined Malaysia Airlines 1981

A highly experienced aviator with over three decades at Malaysia Airlines, Zaharie held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence and had flown the Boeing 777 for years. He was considered one of the airline's most senior captains. His simulator data and psychological profile were extensively reviewed during the investigation. No definitive conclusions about motive were reached.

First Officer / Co-Pilot
Fariq Abdul Hamid
Age 27 · Malaysian · 2,763 total flight hours · Recently type-rated on Boeing 777

Fariq was a relatively junior first officer who had recently completed his Boeing 777 type rating. MH370 was his first commercial flight on the 777 without a training captain in the jumpseat. He was recently engaged. His background was reviewed extensively by investigators and no concerns were identified.

Notable Passenger Groups

Chinese Calligraphy Group

19 artists and 6 family members, returning home to Beijing after exhibiting their calligraphy work in Kuala Lumpur. They were accompanied by 4 staff members.

Freescale Semiconductor Employees

20 employees of US-based semiconductor company Freescale — 12 Malaysian and 8 Chinese nationals — were returning from a technical conference. Their presence became the subject of debunked patent conspiracy theories.

The Families

The families of those on board have organized internationally to advocate for a continued and expanded search. Voice370 is a coalition of next-of-kin from multiple countries that has maintained public pressure on governments and search contractors. The Chinese families — the largest national group — organized separately and have at times been in conflict with the Malaysian government over the transparency of the investigation.

As of June 2026, no death certificates have been issued in some jurisdictions pending formal identification of remains. Many families have described the unresolved disappearance as a form of ongoing trauma, distinct from a conventional bereavement.