- Malaysia to resume search for MH370
- $70m deal with Ocean Infinity to locate wreckage
- Search to cover 15,000 sq km in Indian Ocean
The Malaysian government has announced that it has agreed in principle to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished 10 years ago. The Boeing 777 disappeared in March 2014 while en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board.
According to Transport Minister Anthony Loke, the cabinet has approved a $70 million deal with US-based marine exploration firm Ocean Infinity to locate the aircraft. The search will be conducted under a “no find, no fee” arrangement, meaning Ocean Infinity will only receive payment if the wreckage is found.
This is not the first time Ocean Infinity has been involved in the search for MH370. A 2018 search by the company ended unsuccessfully after three months. A previous multinational effort that cost $150 million also ended in 2017 after two years of searching.
Loke stated that negotiations over the specific terms of the deal are still ongoing and will be finalized early next year. The new search will cover a 15,000 square kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean, based on new data that Kuala Lumpur found to be “credible”.
Relatives of passengers on MH370 have welcomed the news of the new search. “I am so happy for the news… Feels like the best Christmas present ever,” said Jacquita Gonzales, the wife of MH370 inflight supervisor Patrick Gomes.
Intan Maizura Othaman, whose husband was a member of the cabin crew, expressed mixed emotions. “This announcement stirs mixed emotions – hope, gratitude, and sorrow. After nearly 11 years, the uncertainty and pain of not having answers have been incredibly difficult for us.”
Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the plane, called for a more open approach to the search. “The Malaysian government must have a more open approach to the search to allow more players to take part,” he told Reuters.
The disappearance of MH370 remains one of aviation’s greatest mysteries. Investigators generally agree that the plane crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, but the cause of the crash remains unknown.
