Malaysia to Resume Search for Missing Flight MH370 After a Decade

 

Malaysia’s government has agreed to restart the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, more than a decade after its disappearance in one of aviation’s greatest mysteries. The decision was announced by Transport Minister Anthony Loke during a press conference, following a proposal by the exploration firm Ocean Infinity.

Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, vanished on March 8, 2014, during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The renewed search will focus on a new area in the southern Indian Ocean, based on updated data and analysis.

Ocean Infinity, which led the previous search efforts that ended unsuccessfully in 2018, will take charge of this mission. The firm stands to receive $70 million in compensation if significant wreckage is discovered.

“Our responsibility and obligation is to the next of kin,” Minister Loke said. “We hope this time will yield positive results, bringing closure to the families who have waited for so long.”

Since the aircraft’s disappearance, debris believed to be from MH370 has been found along the African coastline and on islands in the Indian Ocean. However, the plane’s main wreckage has never been located.

Malaysian investigators have not ruled out the possibility of deliberate action causing the plane to veer off course, but the exact circumstances remain unknown.

Among the passengers, more than 150 were Chinese nationals, and their families have sought compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls-Royce (the aircraft's engine manufacturer), and Allianz, the airline’s insurer.

Ocean Infinity’s previous searches, including efforts in 2018, failed to find the plane despite extensive underwater exploration in a 120,000 square kilometer area identified using satellite data from Inmarsat.

The new search aims to provide answers to the unresolved mystery and peace to the families who have spent years in uncertainty. “This effort reaffirms our commitment to solving this tragedy,” Loke said.

The search is expected to commence after finalizing agreements with Ocean Infinity, marking a critical step in addressing one of aviation’s most enduring enigmas.