Malaysian Airlines to Begin Tracking Planes with Satellite System

Malaysia Airlines is set to be the first airline to take part in a new satellite tracking program for its fleet of planes.

The BBC reports that the airline plans to take part in a soon to be launched satellite tracking system which will allow the airline to better track the location and status of their airplanes. Currently, polar regions and remote ocean areas are not monitored by existing systems; satellite tracking would provide a significant improvement over current monitoring systems.

The airline will be making use of the service provided by US-based Aireon, FlightAware, and SITAONAIR which will allow for more regular updates on plane’s location according to Paul Gibson, the portfolio director of SITAONAIR. “With access to up-to-the-minute reporting, Malaysia Airlines will know the location, heading, speed and altitude of all aircraft in its fleet, at all times, and be alerted to any exceptions,” said Gibson.

Malaysia Airlines made headlines in March of 2014 when one of their planes, flight MH370, went missing while traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The transmitter signal from the plane was lost abruptly leading many to question whether the signal was ended deliberately. The plane has still yet to be found.

Since the disappearance of the plane, Malaysia Airlines has tried to win back customer confidence by offering flight promotions and travel discounts, this latest improvement to flight tracking may be another attempt to ensure customer safety. Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail stated that he was “proud” to be the first airline to sing up to the new system.