Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 operating Kuala Lumpur → Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew, disappears from air traffic control tracking less than an hour after takeoff.

The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) is activated and search-and-rescue begins in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand near the last known ATC contact area.

Malaysia Airlines announces the aircraft is missing and that search and rescue has been initiated; passenger and crew family notification efforts begin and the manifest is released.

After the public announcement, the Royal Malaysian Air Force reviews military radar data and later determines an unidentified aircraft (later assessed as MH370) crossed the Malay Peninsula and was tracked until it left radar range over the Andaman Sea.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board sends investigators; Inmarsat provides data regarding satellite communications in response to a request from SITA (the datalink provider).

By day’s end, dozens of aircraft and vessels from multiple nations participate. Thailand shifts search focus toward the Andaman Sea at Malaysia’s request, amid indications the aircraft may have turned back.

INTERPOL confirms stolen Austrian and Italian passports were in its database and had not been queried. Early terrorism speculation is raised, but officials say no links are found.

Inmarsat staff analyze satellite communications data and determine the aircraft likely continued flying for several hours, producing information consistent with two possible end-of-flight “arc” corridors.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force confirms the aircraft made a turn back from its planned route.

Malaysian police state the two passengers using stolen passports are Iranian men believed to be migrants; INTERPOL says evidence increasingly points away from terrorism.

Inmarsat publicly acknowledges the satellite network recorded transmissions from the aircraft for several hours after it disappeared from ATC tracking.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister states the aircraft remained in contact with Inmarsat for hours after being lost by ATC and describes two possible corridors (northwest and south into the Indian Ocean).

Australia agrees to coordinate the search along the southern corridor in the southern Indian Ocean and issues a shipping broadcast requesting assistance.

Australia conducts its first aerial search in the southern Indian Ocean in an area determined by U.S. NTSB analysis.

Australia announces satellite imagery appears to show two large objects floating in the ocean within the search region.

Satellite images and evolving analysis lead to changes in the search area. Malaysia announces an international panel will be formed to investigate the incident.

Malaysia submits a preliminary report to ICAO calling for improved tracking technology for commercial aircraft.

A sonobuoy deployment reports a possible underwater locator beacon signal; officials later state it is unlikely to be related.

An oil slick near possible detections is tested and found not to be jet fuel or hydraulic fluid. With locator beacon batteries nearing end-of-life, Bluefin-21 AUV scanning begins for seafloor sonar survey near the detection area.

The surface search concludes after weeks of operations; efforts concentrate on underwater survey and analysis.

Seafloor sonar survey efforts conclude for this phase without finding debris attributable to MH370.

The underwater search begins with multiple vessels participating across the defined priority areas.

ATSB releases an updated analysis of satellite communications suggesting the most likely location is south of a previously identified priority area.

Malaysia declares the event an accident under the Chicago Convention and issues an interim report focused on factual information.

Marine debris resembling an aircraft component is found on Réunion; it is later confirmed as a Boeing 777 flaperon linked to MH370.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister confirms the discovered flaperon is from Flight 370; subsequent confirmations follow from investigators and authorities.

After searching a large area of the southern Indian Ocean without locating the wreckage, the underwater search is officially suspended.

A private search by Ocean Infinity begins over a newly defined search area; it ends months later without success and data is donated to seabed mapping efforts.

Malaysia indicates it will review credible leads or proposals for a renewed search.

Ocean Infinity expresses commitment to resuming the search in a future window, pending Malaysian government approval.

Malaysia’s Transport Minister reiterates the case is not closed and future searches may proceed with new credible information.

Ocean Infinity submits a proposal to Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport for a renewed search effort.

Malaysia approves a renewed search covering a targeted area in the southern Indian Ocean under a “no find, no fee” arrangement.

Malaysia’s Transport Minister confirms Ocean Infinity has resumed search operations.

The search is temporarily suspended due to seasonal weather, with plans to resume in a later window.

Malaysia issues an official statement confirming search operations are scheduled to resume on 30 December 2025 for a defined operational period.