Ever wondered why we still cannot track an aeroplane?

The overarching problem with tracking planes is the vast expanse of Earth devoid of radar cover — with as much as 80% of the world a blind spot to surveillance, writes Justin Bachman.

THE disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines jumbo jet last March shocked many people unaware that such a thing could happen.

That event, combined with the recent loss of a second commercial aircraft over the Java Sea (debris from the plane is now being recovered), is spurring calls for more precise, “persistent” tracking of commercial airline flights.