The 2001 Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and the associated Protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment (together known as the ‘Cape Town Convention’) facilitate the financing of aircraft by:

Australia's carriers" liability and insurance arrangements are outlined in the Civil Aviation (Carriers" Liability) Act 1959 (the CACL Act).

The Act gives the force of law to a number of passenger liability frameworks, including those arising under the ‘Warsaw System’, the Montreal Convention, and a separate system of liability for domestic travel.

The liability framework for domestic passenger travel is created under Part IV of the Act, and is complemented by state government legislation to create a national uniform scheme.

In February 2024 ICAO completed its final report following a focussed aviation safety audit held in September 2023. The report reaffirmed that Australia has an effective aviation safety oversight system.

Overview

On 8 March 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared from air traffic control radar during a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China with 227 passengers and 12 crew (239 people in total) on board, including 7 Australian citizens and residents.

2014

• 8 March 2014: Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared from air traffic control radar
• 8 March 2014: Surface search and rescue commenced focused on the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca
• 15 March 2014: Malaysia received combined satellite intelligence (Inmarsat) indicating a flight path across the southern Indian Ocean
• 17 March 2014: following Malaysia’s request for Australia to lead the search, Australia assumed responsibility for search and rescue in southern Indian Ocean
• 24 March 2014: Malaysia announced chang