World nations struck a landmark deal Wednesday on using satellites to track flights, which could prove key to preventing a repeat of the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370 in March 2014.

Countries reached an accord at a conference hosted by the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that aimed to improve on the current civilian flight tracking system which relies on ground-based radars.  

"In reaching this agreement... ITU has responded in record time to the expectations of the global community on the major issue concerning global flight tracking," said the organisation's secretary general, Houlin Zhao.