Malaysia Airlines vows to support families of passengers on missing aircraft, including two Canadians

The sudden and mysterious disappearance of an airline destined for China this weekend has left families in nearly a dozen countries scrambling for answers, including the families of Canadian couple listed among the passengers who went missing on Saturday.

There still is no clear indication about what may have happened to the aircraft. Two days after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared over the Gulf of Thailand, search-and-rescue efforts were expanded to a larger geographical area and the airline turned its attention to providing care for the families of those on board, including the families of two Canadian citizens.

Muktesh Mukherjee and his wife Xiaomo Bai – the parents of two young children – were among the 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board the aircraft when it disappeared on Saturday while en route for Beijing, China from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Recovery efforts have failed to find many clues to its possible whereabouts. Reports that an airplane door had been spotted proved to be hollow and an oil slick spotted in the South China Sea is also no longer believed to be related to the missing plane.

A currently-considered scenario suggests the plane may have disintegrated in midair, about two hours after it departed from Kuala Lumpur.

The discovery that two passengers were flying under assumed identities and stolen passports has further coloured the mysterious nature of the plane's disappearance.

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The presumed crash would be a major tragedy that would directly affect families in nearly a dozen different countries, including China, Malaysia, France, New Zealand, America, Italy, Indonesia and Canada.

The flight’s manifest notes that Canadians Muktesh Mukherjee, 42, and his wife, Xiaomo Bai, 27, were among the passengers on board the flight. The couple was married and lived in Montreal for several years but were living in Beijing when the Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared over the weekend.

According to the Malaysian Insider, the couple was returning family in Beijing at the time of the crash. Mukherjee’s mother Uma left for Beijing after the plane disappeared. His cousin further said the family was trying to gather enough information in order to understand what may have happened.

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According to what family members have told various news agencies, Mukherjee and Bai met while he was in Beijing on business in 2002 and married later that in year a Montreal ceremony. They lived in Canada until 2005, when they moved to Chicago and have since returned to Beijing.

Mukherjee’s LinkedIn page says he worked for Xcoal Energy & Resources and had previously studied at Montreal's McGill University. Close friend Matthew McConkey told the New York Times that Mukherjee was a happy man who felt blessed by his life and loved his family.

According to Bai's Facebook page, the couple was on vacation in Vietnam days before boarding the plane for Beijing. The couple has two young sons, who were not on board the flight at the time.

Times of India reports that Mukherjee was the grandson of Mohan Kumaramangalam, a prominent Indian politician who died in a 1973 air crash. His brother, a former Supreme Court judge, told the newspaper the couple's sons, aged two and nine, were safe with family in Beijing.

Malaysian Airlines released a statement on Monday stating the care and comfort of the passengers' families was the utmost concern as the search continued. The airline is bringing family members to Kuala Lumpur, although the travel arrangements are being kept confidential.

"This is to protect the privacy and well-being of the families during this difficult time and to respect their space," the statement reads.

"Malaysia Airlines' primary focus at this point in time is to care for the families of the passengers and crew of MH370. This means providing them with timely information, travel facilities, accommodation, meals, medical and emotional support. The costs for these are all borne by Malaysia Airlines."

Once the aircraft is located, Malaysia Airlines says it will establish a response coordination centre near the site to further assist the families.

Families around the world are awaiting a resolution, even if hopes of a happy ending have dimmed.

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