Where to watch 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' online and now

Graphic representation of vanished Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 flight MH370 ahead of the premiere of 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' — (Image credit: BBC)

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Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing disappeared with 239 passengers and crew on board on March 8, 2014. Ten years on, "Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370" explores this shocking aviation mystery – you can watch it from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE.

'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' date, TV channel

• U.K. date and time: Aired on Wednesday, Mar. 6 on BBC1, 8 p.m. GMT. Streaming now on BBC iPlayer in the U.K..

• Watch BBC iPlayer from anywhere with NordVPN

"Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370" – a brand new 60-minute documentary – looked at new evidence of MH370’s possible location through pioneering radio technology, which has never been used to locate a missing plane before.

Hailed as "outstanding" by aviation fans, the 60-minute doc featured interviews with "relatives of the missing, aviation experts, former Malaysia Airlines employees, and current and former pilots."

The black box flight recorders have never been recovered so while the documentary doesn't offer any clear-cut answers, it is nonetheless a fascinating examination of MH370 theories – including kidnap, mass-murder suicide by pilot and massive technological failure.

Below we explain how to watch "Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370" online from wherever you are.

Watch 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' for free

Watch 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' for FREE in the U.K. now

British flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

"Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370" aired in the U.K. on BBC One on Wednesday, Mar. 6 at at 8 p.m. GMT and again on BBC Two on Saturday, Mar. 10 at 6.35 p.m. GMT.

It is now available to watch for FREE on BBC iPlayer. The BBC's streaming service is totally free to view, provided you have a TV license of course.

Watch 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' from anywhere

How to watch 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' from anywhere in the world

Away from the U.K. at the moment and blocked from watching "Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370" on BBC iPlayer?

You can still watch BBC iPlayer thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for TV fans away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.S. and want to view BBC iPlayer, you'd select U.K. from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to BBC iPlayer and watch "Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370" on catch-up.

'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' live streams by country

Can I watch 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' online in the U.S.?

We'd expect BBC America to air "Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370" at some point in the future, but there's no official confirmation.

If you're a Brit abroad, visiting the U.S., you can watch the 60-minute documentary now on BBC iPlayer via a safe and secure VPN. We recommend NordVPN.

We'll update you as soon as a U.S. release date is announced.

How to watch 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' in Australia

Australia flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

"Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370" premiered on Channel 7 at 8.30 p.m. AEDT on Sunday, March 10 and is now available to stream for FREE on 7plus.

Traveling outside Australia? Don't worry — you can access 7plus from abroad via a VPN instead. Our favorite VPN service right now is NordVPN, but you'll find others in our best VPN services list.

What to know about the new MH370 documentary

Is 'Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370' on Netflix?

No. However, Netflix released its own MH370 documentary – "MH370: The Plane That Disappeared" – in 2023. The three-part series is currently rated 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, although many viewers objected to its presentation of the various conspiracy theories that have grown up around the flight's disappearance.

When was the search for flight MH370 finally called off?

Malaysia, Australia, and China officially called off the search for the plane in January 2017 but Ocean Infinity, an American company, continued until May 2017 when the Malaysian Transport ministry called a halt to proceedings.

What did the final Malaysian government report conclude in July 2018?

Mechanical malfunction was deemed extremely unlikely while "the change in flight path likely resulted from manual inputs." Ultimately, however, the investigators could not determine why MH370 disappeared.

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Bill Borrows is an award-winning journalist, feature writer and columnist (Times Magazine/ Guardian/ Telegraph/ Daily Mirror/ Mail On Sunday/ Radio Times), former editor-at-large at Loaded magazine, author (The Hurricane: The Turbulent Life and Times of Alex Higgins) and book editor. A frequent contributor on talkSPORT and talkRADIO, his areas of specialisation include sport, history, politics, TV and film. He doesn’t get much free time but does admit to an addiction to true crime podcasts, following Man City home and away, and a weakness for milk chocolate cookies.