Malaysian Prime Minister Says Missing Jet Was Deliberately Diverted

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mar 15 (Agencies):  Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Saturday that investigators believe the missing Malaysian airliner's communications were deliberately disabled, and that it turned back from its flight to Beijing and flew for more than seven hours.

Najib also said on Saturday that authorities are now trying to trace the airplane missing for more than a week across two possible "corridors" - a northern corridor from northern Thailand through to the border of Kazakstan and Turkmenistan, and a southern corridor from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean. (Military data suggests 'skilled' flyer turned Malaysia Airlines jet)

The announcement on Saturday confirms days of mounting speculation that the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 with 239 people on board was not accidental.

It means the investigation will now focus on who may have taken control of the plane and why, and that the search area will be vastly expanded. (What could have happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370?)

Najib said that search in the South China Sea, where the plane first lost contact with air traffic controllers, would be ended. He said the new search corridors were based on the latest available satellite data.

"Clearly the search for MH370 has entered a new phase," he said. "We hope this new information brings us one step closer to finding the plane."

MH370 flight was hijacked : Confirms Malaysian Government

Kuala Lumpur, Mar 15 (Agencies) : Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 has been hijacked, according to a news report.

According to Associated Press report today, a Malaysian government official said that hijacking was no longer just a theory: “It is conclusive,” read the report.

The official who is involved in the investigation were reported saying they have determined that either one of the pilots or someone else with flying experience has hijacked the missing jet.

However, the motive has not been established while it is unclear where the plane has been taken.

Speculation is rife that the Malaysian government will announce this at a press conference slated for 1.30pm.

The news comes amidst increasing clues pointing to foul play in the week-long mystery over the commercial Beijing-bound flight that went off the radars at 2.41am last Saturday.

While the plane disappeared from sight while over the South China Sea just off the coast of Vietnam, there is growing belief it may have detoured to the West towards the Indian Ocean.