Originally Posted by
etudiant
Basic question.
Do jetliners communicate much with each other during long flights or is the protocol to remain silent unless reporting unusual conditions?
It seems that MH370 had plenty of company in the area, so wondering if there is any insight to be gathered from communications with these other flights.
Airlines usually have a company frequency that we use to communicate with flight operations and with other pilots in range. There's also a common 'unoffical' frequency that pilots use to contact other pilots from different companies. Sometimes, operational information is shared, like weather ahead if it's known that another aircraft is in the vicinity of where you're heading.
After the MH370 lost contact, there were other MAS aircraft in the air trying to contact MH370 on various frequencies..