KUALA LUMPUR- The Malaysian government has announced its agreement, in principle, to restart the search for a passenger jet that disappeared a decade ago, marking one of aviation’s most perplexing mysteries.
Malaysia Airlines (MH) Flight MH370 vanished in March 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Malaysia, to Beijing (PEK), China, carrying 239 passengers and crew.
Search for Missing MH370 Flight
Over the years, efforts to find the wreckage of the Boeing 777 have faltered, leaving hundreds of families deeply affected by the unresolved tragedy.
Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke revealed on Friday that the cabinet had given provisional approval for a $70 million (£56 million) deal with US-based marine exploration company Ocean Infinity to locate the aircraft.
Under a “no find, no fee” arrangement, Ocean Infinity will only receive payment if the wreckage is discovered.
In 2018, Ocean Infinity conducted a similar search for MH370 under the same terms, which concluded unsuccessfully after three months.
An earlier multinational search effort, costing $150 million (£120 million), ended in 2017 after two years of extensive exploration.
The governments of Malaysia, Australia, and China, who participated in the search, had stated that the mission would resume only if “credible new evidence” regarding the aircraft’s location came to light.
While the government has preliminarily accepted Ocean Infinity’s proposal, Loke noted that discussions over the specific terms of the agreement were still ongoing and expected to be finalized early next year.
The renewed search is set to cover a 15,000 square kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean, guided by new data deemed “credible” by Malaysian authorities.
“We hope for a positive outcome this time,” Loke said, emphasizing that discovering the wreckage would bring closure to the families of those on board.
Relatives Respond to Search Restart
Relatives of passengers on MH370 expressed support for the Malaysian government’s decision to restart the search. Jacquita Gonzales, wife of inflight supervisor Patrick Gomes, called the news “the best Christmas present ever” in an interview with the New Straits Times.
Intan Maizura Othaman, whose husband was cabin crew member Mohd Hazrin Mohamed Hasnan, shared mixed emotions, saying the uncertainty after nearly 11 years has been incredibly painful.
Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the flight, told Reuters the Malaysian government must take a “more open approach” to the search and allow more parties to participate.
Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Plunkett praised the decision as “great news,” and expressed eagerness to share updates once details are finalized and the team is ready.
Flight MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, losing communication with air traffic control less than an hour after takeoff. Radar showed the plane strayed from its flight path.
Investigators believe the plane crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, but the cause remains unclear. Debris from the plane might get washed up to the shores of the Indian Ocean in the 10 years following its disappearance.
Conspiracy theories about the plane’s fate have included claims of a deliberate crash or it being shot down by a foreign military.
A 2018 investigation suggested the plane’s controls were likely manipulated to change course, but it did not identify the person responsible. Investigators concluded that only finding the wreckage would provide a definitive answer.
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