Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 The disappearance on 8 March 2014 of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a scheduled international passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport, prompted a large, multinational search in Asia and the southern Indian Ocean that became the most expensive search in aviation history. Analysis of communications between the aircraft and Inmarsat by multiple agencies has concluded that the flight ended in the southern Indian Ocean. An analysis of possible flight paths was conducted, identifying a primary search-area, approximately west of Perth, Western Australia, which takes six days for vessels to
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 fault, to a payment of approximately US$175,000 from the airline's insurance company—a total of nearly US$40 million for the 227 passengers on board. Malaysia Airlines would still be vulnerable to civil lawsuits from passengers' families. Compensation awarded (or settlements reached out-of-court) during civil trials will likely vary widely among passengers based on country of the court. An American court could likely award upwards of US$8–10 million, while Chinese courts would likely award a small fraction of that. Despite the announcement that Flight 370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean, it was not until 29 January 2015 that the Malaysian government