into that. >> reporter: the future of tracking flights could already be here. this is boeing corporation's 787 command center near seattle where technicians track air born 787s in realtime, mapping their location and monitoring maintenance and technical issues throughout the center as they happen. if a plane has a tire pressure problem flying over the atlantic, they'll know. >> in fact, it's a little more extensive than that because there are several of us that get the messages to our blackberries and so wherever we are, whether we're in the room or off on a picnic somewhere, we'll find out about it immediately. >> reporter: but command center this is sophisticated don't exist for 777s and other smaller and older aircraft. and tracking every plane flying at any given time this closely would be a massive undertaking and, of course, the systems have to be turned on to work. that's one of the biggest problems in the search for the missing malaysian airlines flight. the plane's transponder and the