Indian Ocean Flight Corridor

Indian Ocean Flight Corridor

The term "Indian Ocean Flight Corridor" primarily refers to the area in the southern Indian Ocean where Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370) is believed to have deviated from its intended route and ultimately disappeared in March 2014.

The Disappearance

MH370, a Boeing 777, vanished from radar shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.

Initial Search Focus

The initial search focused on the South China Sea and Andaman Sea, but analysis of the aircraft's communications with an Inmarsat satellite indicated that the plane had travelled far southward over the southern Indian Ocean.

Southern Indian Ocean Search

The focus of the search shifted to a remote area of the southern Indian Ocean, west of Perth, Australia.

Extensive Search Efforts

A multinational search, including ships and aircraft from various countries, was conducted, but no wreckage was found in the initial search area.

Debris Findings

Several pieces of debris, some confirmed to be from MH370, washed ashore in the western Indian Ocean and on islands in the region.

Ongoing Search Efforts

In 2018, a private company, Ocean Infinity, conducted a search based on the most likely impact location, but it was unsuccessful. In March 2025, Malaysia approved a new search for the wreckage in a new area of the southern Indian Ocean, with Ocean Infinity contracted to conduct the search.

New Search Area

The new search area is a 15,000-square-kilometer (5,800-square-mile) area off the coast of Western Australia.

"No-Find, No-Fee" Contract

Ocean Infinity will be paid $70 million only if wreckage is discovered.

Flight Simulator

The home flight simulator of the MH370 pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, had a route plotted into it which ended in the Indian Ocean, which investigators believe is similar to the flight path of MH370.