Malaysia’s transport minister, Anthony Loke, announced on Friday that the government had agreed in principle to a $70 million proposal to resume the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that mysteriously vanished in 2014.
The operation is set to resume under an 18-month contract with Ocean Infinity, as reported by AFP news agency.
The plane vanished 10 years ago with 239 people aboard, prompting one of the largest aviation searches in history, but without success. The new operation will focus on the southern Indian Ocean.
Ocean Infinity, a US-based robotics company, will only be paid if significant wreckage is found and recovered. The Texas-based company plans to start the search between January and April.
Disappearance of flight MH370
The Boeing 777 vanished on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Satellite data indicated it likely crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, but searches have not found the wreckage.
The new search, scheduled to cover 15,000 square kilometres, will be conducted on a “no find, no fee” basis. “The proposal for a search operation by Ocean Infinity is a solid one and deserves to be considered,” Loke was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. The agreement, expected to be finalised by early 2025, ensures Malaysia will only pay the company if substantive wreckage is found.
Previous search efforts
The original search, led by Malaysia, Australia, and China, began in 2014 and covered 120,000 square kilometres, costing around A$200 million. It ended in January 2017 with no major findings.
In 2018, Ocean Infinity conducted a three-month search covering 112,000 square kilometres north of the initial area, but also failed to locate the wreckage.
Over 30 pieces of debris, including three confirmed wing fragments from MH370, have been found along Africa’s coast and Indian Ocean islands. These fragments helped guide the new search area proposed by Ocean Infinity.
Conspiracy theories
A 2018 investigation report suggested the plane’s controls were deliberately manipulated but couldn’t determine who was responsible. Conspiracy theories range from mechanical failure to alien abduction, but no solid evidence has been found.
“The new search area is based on the latest data and expert analysis,” Loke said, as quoted by the AFP news agency. He added that the government is committed to finding the plane and providing closure to the families of the victims.
