That's my read as well --
And this official statement from the PM that the plane is officially declared to have crashed with no survivors possible was necessary in order for the insurance litigation and payouts to begin in earnest.
It was “necessary” from the standpoint that it was just analyzed and revealed to the authorities - and the MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT wanted to be “ahead” of the inevitable news leaks - especially for the families.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26711298
Left hand side under LIVE TEXT
Here’s the full text of that statement by Malaysian PM Najib Razak:
“This evening I was briefed by representatives from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). They informed me that Inmarsat, the UK company that provided the satellite data which indicated the northern and southern corridors, has been performing further calculations on the data. Using a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort, they have been able to shed more light on MH370’s flight path.
Based on their new analysis, Inmarsat and the AAIB have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor, and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth.
This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.
We will be holding a press conference tomorrow with further details. In the meantime, we wanted to inform you of this new development at the earliest opportunity. We share this information out of a commitment to openness and respect for the families, two principles which have guided this investigation
Malaysia Airlines have already spoken to the families of the passengers and crew to inform them of this development. For them, the past few weeks have been heartbreaking; I know this news must be harder still. I urge the media to respect their privacy, and to allow them the space they need at this difficult time.”