Heights given by primary radar are actual altitudes, unlike the pressure altitudes provided by secondary radar. On 8March 2015, exactly one year after the disappearance of Flight 370, the Malaysian Ministry of Transport issued an interim report titled "Factual Information: Safety Information for MH370", which focused on providing factual information about the missing airplane, rather than the analysis of possible causes of the disappearance. [218] A brief update statement was provided one year later, in March 2016, regarding the status of the investigation. [219]

From 18 to 27 March 2014, the search effort focused on a 305,000km 2 (118,000sqmi) area about 2,600km (1,400nmi; 1,600mi) southwest of Perth. [112] The search area, which Australian prime minister Tony Abbott called "as close to nowhere as it's possible to be", is renowned for its strong winds, inhospitable climate, hostile seas, and deep ocean floors. [113] [114] Satellite imagery of the region was analysed; [115] several objects of interest and two possible debris fields were identified on images made between 16 and 26March. None of these possible objects were found by aircraft or ships. [116] The first work of fiction about the incident was MH370: A Novella, by New Zealand author Scott Maka. [400] Malaysian authorities initially reported that four passengers used stolen passports to board the aircraft before settling on two: one Italian and one Austrian. [274] Jeff Rake, creator of the NBC show Manifest, said that after he had pitched his idea for the show without any success, the MH370 disappearance led to the TV network's sudden interest. [397]a b "US company resumes search for missing flight MH370". The Telegraph. Associated Press. 7 January 2018. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 . Retrieved 7 January 2018. Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng reacted sceptically to the conclusion by the Malaysian government that the aircraft had gone down with no survivors, demanding on 24March 2014 "all the relevant information and evidence about the satellite data analysis", and said that the Malaysian government must "finish all the work including search and rescue." [344] [345] The following day, Chinese president Xi Jinping sent a special envoy to Kuala Lumpur to consult with the Malaysian government over the missing aircraft. [346] Relatives of passengers Ng, Eileen; Adamson, Thomas (2 August 2015). "Malaysia Seeks Help in Finding More Possible MH370 Debris". ABC News (US). AP. Archived from the original on 4 August 2015 . Retrieved 8 August 2015. Dewan, Angela (23 May 2018). "MH370 search to end on May 29 after four years". CNN . Retrieved 24 May 2018. On 29 January 2015, the director general of the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, announced that the status of Flight 370 would be changed to an "accident", in accordance with the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, and that all passengers and crew are presumed to have lost their lives. [80]

Clark, Nicola (3 September 2015). "Analysis Confirms Plane Debris Came From Malaysia Airlines Flight 370". The New York Times. Mullen, Jethro; Shoichet, Catherine; Fantz, Ashley (6 August 2015). "MH370: More plane debris has washed up on Reunion[ sic], Malaysia says". CNN . Retrieved 8 August 2015. Hanna, Jason; Vandoorne, Saskya (3 September 2015). " 'Certainty' that Reunion debris from MH370, French official says". CNN. MH370: Aircraft Debris and Drift Modelling". Australian Transport Safety Bureau/The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. 4 August 2015 . Retrieved 8 August 2015. Ranjit Singh (12 March 2014). "MH370: Five Indian nationals identified". astro AWANI . Retrieved 29 May 2014.Of the 227 passengers, 153 were Chinese citizens, [37] including a group of 19 artists with six family members and four staff returning from a calligraphy exhibition of their work in Kuala Lumpur; 38 passengers were Malaysian. The remaining passengers were from 12 different countries. [33] [42] Twenty passengers, 12 of whom were from Malaysia and eight from China, were employees of Freescale Semiconductor. [42] [43] [44] MH370 Lost in Indian Ocean: "Credible lead" moves search to new area". New Straits Times. 28 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014 . Retrieved 17 January 2015.

New missing Malaysian plane MH370 search area announced". BBC News. 26 June 2014. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014 . Retrieved 15 November 2014. The search for the missing airliner is already among most expensive in aviation history. The Hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Continues". Newsweek. Reuters. 6 August 2014 . Retrieved 15 November 2014. Govindasamy, Siva; Scott, Alwyn (8 March 2014). "Malaysia Airlines has one of Asia's best safety records". Mumbai: Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014 . Retrieved 9 March 2014. a b "MH370 Operational Search Update #1" (PDF). oceaninfinity.com. Government of Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2018 . Retrieved 15 February 2018.Randewich, Noel (9 March 2014). "Loss of employees on Malaysia flight a blow, U.S. chipmaker says". San Francisco: Reuters. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014 . Retrieved 15 March 2014.