Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian government has taken a significant step towards solving one of the greatest aviation mysteries of the 21st century by giving final approval for a renewed search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in 2014.
The flight, which was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, and the circumstances surrounding its disappearance have baffled authorities and the public for more than a decade. Despite extensive search efforts, the aircraft’s final location remains unknown.
On Wednesday, Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, confirmed that the cabinet had approved the terms and conditions of an agreement with Ocean Infinity, a US-based marine robotics company. Ocean Infinity has previously conducted two searches for the missing Boeing 777, with the most recent one ending in 2018 without success.
Minister Loke expressed the government’s unwavering commitment to resolving the mystery and providing closure to the families of those onboard. He noted that the new search effort would span 18 months, offering hope to those who have long awaited answers.
“The government is determined to continue the search operation and provide closure for the families of MH370 passengers,” Loke said in his statement. The deal with Ocean Infinity includes a payment of $70 million, but it operates on a “no find, no fee” basis, meaning the company will only be paid if the wreckage is successfully located.
Ocean Infinity’s 2018 search, which was privately funded, turned up no significant findings. The new search, which is set to begin in the coming months, will cover a 15,000-square-kilometre area (approximately 5,790 square miles) in a new location in the southern Indian Ocean, selected based on new data and analysis.
This latest effort follows a previous, extensive search carried out by Malaysia, Australia, and China, which covered 120,000 square kilometres (around 46,332 square miles) of the southern Indian Ocean. That search, guided by data from the plane’s satellite connection to an Inmarsat satellite, also failed to locate the wreckage.
The approval for this new search comes three months after Malaysia signalled its in-principle support for a renewed search effort.
MH370 disappeared after its communication systems were switched off less than an hour into its overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Military radar data showed the aircraft turned back across Malaysia, skirting the island of Penang before heading towards northern Sumatra. However, after weeks of fruitless search efforts by the 26 countries involved in the operation, the Malaysian government declared that the aircraft had flown until its fuel was depleted before crashing into the southern Indian Ocean.
Since then, debris confirmed to be from the aircraft has washed up on the shores of Africa and various islands in the Indian Ocean, providing some evidence of the plane’s final location, though the bulk of the wreckage remains elusive.
As the search resumes after a five-year hiatus, the families of the missing passengers have expressed frustration, with many seeking compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls-Royce (the maker of the plane’s engines), and the Allianz insurance group, among others. The renewed search, while offering hope, also highlights the ongoing pain and uncertainty faced by those who lost loved ones aboard flight MH370.
The new search is expected to bring further scrutiny to the investigation, with the world watching closely in the hope that it will bring answers to one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries.