Malaysia Airlines confirms it has lost contact with a Boeing 777-200 carrying 239 passengers and crew that was due to arrive at 06:30 in Beijing on 8 March.

Flight 370 lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control in Malaysia around 02:40 on 8 March, the airline says.

It departed with 227 passengers and 12 crew members at 12:41am, with a scheduled arrival in Beijing at 06:30. Malaysia Airlines announced the aircraft was missing at 07:24.

Malaysian authorities have activated a search and rescue team to locate the aircraft.

The aircraft is identified by the Aviation Herald as 9M-MRO.

Flightglobal’s Ascend online database says it was built in 2002 and powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines.

Source: FlightGlobal.com