Critical days were lost in the search for MH370 because Malaysian authorities initially rejected evidence from the British satellite company that the Boeing 777 with 239 aboard was in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Sources told AirlineRatings.com editor Geoffrey Thomas that within 24 hours of the disappearance of MH370 on March 8, Inmarsat advised the relevant Malaysian authorities of their findings but were rebuffed.

“They didn’t want to know,” said the source.

Thomas said that the revelation was “deeply disturbing and adds to the disbelief over the initial search and investigation” into the disappearance of MH370.

“It is little wonder there are so many conspiracy theories,” noted Thomas. “Many have said the initial search was a shambles and with the latest revelations I would have to agree.”

Inmarsat then approached the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) with its data and it immediately recognised the significance.

The British satellite company was contracted to provide a data link to the Malaysian Airlines fleet and continued to get a signal every hour from MH370 till 8.19am Perth time.

The Malaysian authorities were forced to take the findings seriously when the AAIB teamed with Inmarsat to represent the data around March 14, five days after the Boeing 777 disappeared.