Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

==== Financial troubles ====
At the time of Flight 370's disappearance, Malaysia Airlines was struggling to cut costs to compete with a wave of new, low-cost carriers in the region. In the previous three years, Malaysia Airlines had booked losses of: [[Malaysian ringgit|RM]]1.17&nbsp;billion (US$356&nbsp;million) in 2013, RM433&nbsp;million in 2012, and RM2.5&nbsp;billion in 2011.<ref name=WSJ-MASfinancial /> Malaysia Airlines lost RM443.4&nbsp;million (US$137.4&nbsp;million) in the first quarter of 2014 (January–March).<ref name="MAS Q1 financial report" /> The second quarter—the first full quarter in the aftermath of Flight 370's disappearance—saw a loss of RM307.04&nbsp;million (US$97.6&nbsp;million), representing a 75% increase over losses from the second quarter of 2013.<ref name="Q2 losses-NYT">{{cite news|title=Malaysia Airlines Financial Losses Grow|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/business/malaysia-airlines-financial-losses-grow.html|access-date=30 August 2014|work=[[The New York Times]]|agency=Reuters|date=29 August 2014|archive-date=29 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140829075841/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/business/malaysia-airlines-financial-losses-grow.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Industry analysts expected Malaysia Airlines to lose further market share and face a challenging environment to stand out from competitors while addressing its financial plight.<ref name=WSJ-MASfinancial /> The company's stock, down as much as 20% following the disappearance of Flight 370, had fallen 80% over the previous five years, in contrast to a rise in the Malaysian stock market of about 80% over the same period.<ref name=NYT-MASfinances />

Many analysts and the media suggested that Malaysia Airlines would need to rebrand and repair its image and require government assistance to return to profitability.<ref name=WSJ-privatization>{{cite news|last1=Venkat|first1=P.R.|last2=Raghuvanshi|first2=Gaurav|title=Malaysia Airlines Could Go Private|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/malaysia-airlines-could-go-private-1404301103|access-date=9 August 2014|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=2 July 2014|archive-date=27 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727213048/http://online.wsj.com/articles/malaysia-airlines-could-go-private-1404301103|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Patterson|first1=Thom|title=Malaysia Air faces new, serious threat as company|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/17/world/europe/malaysia-airlines-sidebar/index.html|access-date=9 August 2014|website=CNN.com|date=18 July 2014|quote=Analysts said it may take a government rescue to save the company from financial disaster.|archive-date=11 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411205515/https://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/17/world/europe/malaysia-airlines-sidebar/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Malaysia Airlines considers tie-up with Etihad Airways as restructuring process slowly begins|url=http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/malaysia-airlines-considers-tie-up-with-etihad-as-restructuring-process-slowly-begins-172934|website=centreforaviation.com|publisher=Centre for Aviation|access-date=9 August 2014|date=17 June 2014|archive-date=10 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810112319/http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/malaysia-airlines-considers-tie-up-with-etihad-as-restructuring-process-slowly-begins-172934|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ngui|first=Yantoultra|title=Exclusive: State fund plans to take Malaysia Airlines private for restructuring: sources|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-airlines-idUSKBN0F70UR20140702|access-date=9 August 2014|work=Reuters|location=Kuala Lumpur|date=2 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705153815/https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/02/us-malaysia-airlines-idUSKBN0F70UR20140702 |archive-date=5 July 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Zhang|first=Benjamin|title=How Malaysia Airlines Can Be Saved From Financial And Reputational Ruin|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-airlines-uncertain-future-2014-7|website=Business Insider|access-date=23 July 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003951/http://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-airlines-uncertain-future-2014-7|url-status=live}}</ref> The loss of Flight&nbsp;17 in July greatly exacerbated Malaysia Airline's financial problems. The combined effect on consumer confidence of the loss of Flight 370 and Flight&nbsp;17, and the airline's poor financial performance, led [[Khazanah Nasional]]—the majority shareholder (69.37%)<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hamzah|first1=Al-Zaquan Amer|last2=Leong|first2=Trinna|last3=Ngui|first3=Yantoultra|title=Malaysia Airlines To Go Private With A $435 Million Government Investment|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-airlines-overhaul-2014-8|website=Business Insider|agency=Reuters|access-date=9 August 2014|date=8 August 2014|archive-date=28 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228232215/https://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-airlines-overhaul-2014-8|url-status=dead}}</ref> and a Malaysian state-run investment arm—to announce on 8&nbsp;August its plan to purchase the remainder of the airline, thereby renationalising it.<ref name="NYT-Khazanah takeover">{{cite news|last1=Mouawad|first1=Jad|title=Malaysia Steps in to Save Its Reeling National Airline|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/business/international/malaysia-airlines-to-be-taken-over-by-government.html|access-date=9 August 2014|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=8 August 2014|archive-date=9 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709105419/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/business/international/malaysia-airlines-to-be-taken-over-by-government.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The Australian">{{cite news|last1=Creedy|first1=Steve|title=Malaysia Airlines in $460m bid to clear air|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/malaysia-airlines-in-460m-bid-to-clear-air/story-e6frg95x-1227018472442?nk=70b32bc1815c4b34c2328e2c878caf76|access-date=9 August 2014|work=The Australian|date=9 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="Reuters Kazanah buyback">{{cite news|last1=Hamzah|first1=Al-Zaquan Amer|last2=Ngui|first2=Yantoultra|title=State fund to take over Malaysia Airlines, plans 'complete overhaul'|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-airline-idUSKBN0G807E20140808|access-date=9 August 2014|publisher=Reuters|date=8 August 2014|archive-date=3 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103015120/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-airline-idUSKBN0G807E20140808|url-status=live}}</ref> Malaysia Airlines [[Malaysia Airlines#2015–2020: Renationalisation, restructuring, and rebranding|renationalised]] on 1&nbsp;September 2015.