Looks like new satellites could track the missing plane in coming days as per Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield but for now probably one of the FLYHT’s AFIRS Iridium Global Communications Systems would have solved this problem, if this aircraft had one.

http://flyht.com/products/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/18/opinion/hadfield-ted-satellites-imagery/index.html?hpt=hp_t1