(MENAFN- The Peninsula) All commercial flights worldwide could soon send out an automated signal every minute in times of distress to help rescuers find downed aircraft more easily. The new measures are in response to last year's disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 en route from Kuala Lumpur. The aircraft, with 239 people on board, has never been found, nearly a year on.
The new tracking rules, prepared by an industry working group, would be phased in by the end of this year, said the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a UN agency.
Currently, radar can track a plane, however coverage fades when aircraft are out at sea or the plane is flying below a certain altitude. Under the new rules, airlines will be required to track their aircraft using a system that gives their location at 15-minute intervals. If an "abnormal event" is detected, including a change in direction or deviation from a flight path, the signal rate hastens to every minute. Airlines would be responsible for sharing the data with authorities in cases of emergencies.
Following a distress signal, search and rescue teams would be able to zero in on an aircraft within six nautical miles (11km) of its last known position. The ICAO will also ask airlines to equip their aircraft with ejectable black boxes.
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