Flight departs from Kuala Lumpur
Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, designated MH370, departs from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing. The Boeing 777 carries 227 passengers and 12 crew. The arrival time is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. local time. The craft carries passengers from 13 countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United States. Two of the passengers are infants. The craft carries about 7.5 hours’ worth of fuel. According to Malaysia Airlines’ website, the craft is piloted by veteran airline pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah. The first officer is a younger pilot, Fariq Ab Hamid.