As they scramble to discover what happened, Malaysian officials have said there was a possibility that MH370 may have inexplicably turned back towards Kuala Lumpur.
The plane, captained by a veteran MAS pilot, had relayed no indications of distress, and weather at the time was said to be good.
Questions have also swirled over how at least two passengers boarded the jet on stolen passports, sparking an investigation into possible links with terrorism and a probe into the sale of passports in Thailand where the documents were stolen over the past two years.
Two European names Christian Kozel, an Austrian, and Luigi Maraldi of Italy were listed on the passenger list, but neither man boarded the plane.
Malaysia’s Home Minister Zahid Hamidi reportedly said Sunday that the two passengers who did board using those passports looked Asian in appearance.
“I am still puzzled how come (immigration officers) cannot think: an Italian and Austrian but with Asian facial features,” Zahid was quoted as saying by Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama.
Interpol confirmed that “at least two passports” recorded in its Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database were used by passengers on the Malaysian flight.
The United States has sent an FBI team to help investigate the passengers, but US officials stressed there was as yet no evidence of terrorism.
Malaysia Airlines shares lost 10 percent in early trading Monday as the market reacted to the jet’s disappearance.
The incident is a massive blow for the carrier which has haemorrhaged cash for several years amid mounting competition from low cost rivals such as AirAsia.
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