Missing flight had 7 Australians on board

Seven Australians are among the 239 passengers on board a Malaysia Airlines flight that has disappeared.

The airline confirmed in a press conference this afternoon the 14 nationalities of those who were on the flight, which went missing 5.40am AEDT, about two hours into its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Rescue teams have been deployed to search for the aircraft, which was due to land at 9.30am AEDT, and the airline's staff is contacting the next of kin of those on board, which included two infants and 12 crew members.

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As well as the seven Australians, a spokesman for the airline said those on board included 153 from China, 38 from Malaysia, 12 from Indonesia, three from France, four from the US, two each from New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada, and one each from Russia, Italy, Taiwan, Netherlands and Austria.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "Australian consular officials are in urgent and ongoing contact with Malaysia Airlines."

It has no extra information about the Australians who were on the flight.

The flight was piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a Malaysian aged 53, who joined Malaysia Airlines in 1981 and has 18,365 total flying hours.

The first officer was, Fariq Ab Hamid, a 27-year-old Malaysian, who joined the airline in 2007 and has 2763 total flying hours.

"We are deeply saddened this morning with the news on (flight) MH370," the airline spokesman said.

"There has been speculation that the aircraft has landed at Nanming (in southern China). We are working to verify the authenticity of the report and others."

Chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said: "Our focus now is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members."

The airline's vice president of operations control, Fuad Sharuji, told CNN the plane was carrying about 7.5 hours of fuel when it disappeared.

"At the moment we have no idea where this aircraft is right now," he said.