Malaysia may have skimped on cheap upgrade

Malaysia Airlines may have skimped on a $10 upgrade that would have helped track down flight MH370.

This latest information from the Washington Post comes as the search mission for the missing Boeing 777 and its 239 passengers enters its 13th day.

The paper's report suggests that upgrading to a system called 'Swift' – which wholesales for around $10 a flight – would have enabled MH370 to send out tracking signals even after the plane's communication systems had been turned off.

Read more: Full coverage of the MH370 mystery 

A system similar to 'Swift' helped searched find the Air France jet which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009.

An unnamed satellite industry official told the paper that many airlines had upgraded to 'Swift', which he likened to a mobile phone app.

The use of 'Swift' is mandatory on planes flying in the North Atlantic corridor between Europe and the US but not on other routes.

Source: Washington Post

Author: Natasha Lee, Approving editor: Matthew Henry