Joint Agency Coordination Centre
Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) and the search for MH370
The Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) was established on 30 March 2014 to coordinate the Australian Government's support for the search into missing flight MH370.
The JACC worked with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Geoscience Australia, Department of Defence, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as many other Commonwealth and state government agencies. The JACC also facilitated international engagement, particularly with Malaysia and China.
Background
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing on Saturday, 8 March 2014.
On 17 March 2014 the Australian Government accepted responsibility for initial search operations in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. The search was coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
On 30 March 2014, the then Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Tony Abbott MP, established the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) to coordinate the Australian Government's support for the search for missing flight MH370 (see below).
The Governments of Malaysia, The People's Republic of China, and Australia entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, forming a Tripartite and a cost sharing arrangement for an ongoing underwater search for MH370. The JACC also facilitated this arrangement.
Prime Minister's Press Statement
30 March 2014
Media Release issued by The Hon Tony Abbott MP, Prime Minister of Australia
I am pleased to announce that Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC AFC will lead a new Joint Agency Coordination Centre (the JACC) that will be based in Perth to coordinate the Australian Government's support for the search into MH370.
A former Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Houston is an individual of enormous experience and great skill who has already served his country with distinction.
Australia is providing extensive logistical and other support to the Government of Malaysia in the investigation into MH370.
The new JACC will work with key Commonwealth, state and international stakeholders including the families, friends and international media.
The JACC will ensure that the search being coordinated by AMSA and ATSB is reinforced by strong liaison with all the relevant stakeholders, including the families of the passengers.
The JACC will provide a single contact point for families to gain up-to-date information and travel assistance including visa services, accommodation advice, interpreter services and counselling.
The Australian Government has already announced that visa fees will be waived for affected families.
This multi-country search is a powerful example of international cooperation at a time of adversity.
Military air crew from Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United States are searching for possible debris from MH370.
They have been conducting these searches over a very large area in challenging conditions, far from the Western Australian coast and in variable weather.
Source: Prime Minister's Office (Australia) PMAU-MS-023
JACC Website(s)
Original Website
The original Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) website has been archived.All content formerly hosted on the JACC website is now available from the archive at https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/wayback/20180311050255/http://jacc.gov.au/
Current Website (As at December 2019)
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development website contains a section for the Joint Agency Coordination Centre at
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/joint-agency-coordination-centre/
This page links to a Timeline of Significant Actions but does not link to Tripartite Communiqués as the original (archived) site did.
For more detail please refer to the page in the References section at References/JACC.
Search Updates and other Media
The surface search for MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean was coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). When the JACC was established all of AMSA's communications to media, government agencies and diplomatic posts were redirected to, and available from, the JACC.
The JACC's Media page indexes the following:-
- Media Releases
- Operational Search Updates
- Transcripts
- Reports
- Communiqués
- Photos, and
- Videos
Tripartite Communiqués
Tripartite Communiqués were published on the JACC website. Refer to the article Tripartite for more detail.
Timeline of significant actions—Search for missing airline MH370
2014
- 8 March 2014: Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared from air traffic control radar
- 8 March 2014: Surface search and rescue commenced focused on the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca
- 15 March 2014: Malaysia received combined satellite intelligence (Inmarsat) indicating a flight path across the southern Indian Ocean
- 17 March 2014: following Malaysia’s request for Australia to lead the search, Australia assumed responsibility for search and rescue in southern Indian Ocean
- 24 March 2014: Malaysia announced change from search and rescue to search and recovery operation
- 30 March 2014: Joint Agency Coordination Centre established in Australia
- 30 April 2014: Surface search concluded without any trace of the aircraft
- 5 May 2014: tripartite meeting held between Ministers of Malaysia, the People’s Republic of China and Australia. decision to commence initial under water search of 60,000 square km, led by Australia with support from Malaysia and the People’s Republic of China
2015
- 29 January 2015: Malaysia formally declared MH370 an accident
- 8 March 2015: Release of 1st Interim Statement—MH370 Safety Investigation by Malaysia
- 8 March 2015: Tripartite decision to increase search area from the initial 60,000 to 120,000 square km
- 29 July 2015: First piece of debris (flaperon) recovered on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar (confirmed by French Judicial Authority belonging to MH370 on 3 September 2015)
2016
- 2015 to 2016: Numerous pieces of debris found along the east coast of Africa
- 8 March 2016: Release of 2nd Interim Statement—MH370 Safety Investigation by Malaysia
- 20 December 2016: release of ATSB’s report—MH370—First Principles Review
2017
- 17 January 2017: Initial underwater search suspended by Tripartite countries
- 8 March 2017: Release of 3rd Interim Statement—MH370 Safety Investigation by Malaysia
- 8 March 2017: National Memorial Service held for the family and friends of Australian citizens and resident on board MH370 in Brisbane to mark the third anniversary of the disappearance of flight MH370
- 3 October 2017: release of ATSB final report AE-2014-054—Assistance to Malaysian Ministry of Transport in support of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370
2018
- 21 January 2018: Malaysia commissioned second underwater search commenced on ‘no find no fee’ basis
- 8 March 2018: Release of 4th Interim Statement—MH370 Safety Investigation by Malaysia
- 29 May 2018: Malaysia announces second underwater search concluded without locating the aircraft
- 31 July 2018: release of final Safety Investigation Report—Malaysia Airlines Boeing B777-200ER (9M-MRO) 8 March 2014 by Malaysia
Source: Timeline of significant actions—Search for missing airline MH370 JACC-Timeline