Exploring the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370's disappearance and the slow progress in implementing key safety measures to avoid similar incidents. Delays in outfitting planes with tracking tools raise concerns about future aviation disasters.
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Quick takeaways
Proposed tracking systems aim to prevent aviation disappearances but face delayed implementation due to industry challenges.
Slow progress in equipping planes with required tracking tools raises concerns about gaps in safety standards.
Deep dives
MH370 Disappearance and Industry Response
The episode delves into the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in 2014. The plane vanished from radars, leaving 239 passengers unaccounted for. This event prompted calls for emergency tracking systems on jets to prevent such incidents. Despite proposed solutions and urgency in enhancing industry standards, the implementation of key changes has been delayed, raising concerns about similar mysteries in the future.
Challenges in Implementing Tracking Systems
Efforts to implement one-minute tracking systems on planes faced hurdles. Initially set for January 2021, the deadline was pushed back to 2023 due to industry readiness issues. The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted progress in adopting the tracking devices. Financial pressures, labor shortages, and global standards complexities contributed to the delay. The industry now aims to enforce the tracking rule by January 2025.
Current Status and Future Concerns
The episode highlights the slow progress in equipping planes with the required tracking measures. With most airlines lagging in compliance, only a limited number of aircraft meet the standards. The postponement of implementing the tracking devices raises concerns about prolonged gaps in tracking capabilities, affecting the safety and efficiency of the global commercial airline fleet. The episode underscores the lingering impact of MH370's unresolved mystery on families and industry professionals alike.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur just after midnight on March 8, 2014. Aviation officials lost contact with the flight less than an hour later. MH370 never made it to its destination, and the 239 people on board were never found. Ten years later, what happened to the plane is still aviation’s biggest mystery.
In the wake of the accident, regulators proposed a key safety change that could prevent a plane from disappearing again. But after a decade, most planes are still not outfitted with the proposed tracking tools. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg reporter Angus Whitley shares why the airline industry has been slow to learn from the lessons of MH370 — and what that means for the odds of another disaster like it happening again.