
The Malaysian government has agreed in principle to resume the search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, more than a decade after it vanished, according to the country’s transport minister.
Anthony Loke announced on Friday that the new search proposal, aimed at covering a previously unexplored area in the southern Indian Ocean, came from Ocean Infinity, a US-based exploration company that led the last search in 2018.
Loke stated that the proposal was “solid” and deserving of serious consideration, emphasizing Malaysia’s commitment to finding closure for the families of the 239 people aboard the flight. “Our responsibility and obligation are to the next of kin,” he said.
Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, disappeared on 8th of March 2014, while route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, sparking one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. Investigators discovered that the plane’s communication systems were switched off less than an hour into the flight, with military radar showing it veering off course and heading towards the southern Indian Ocean.
Despite efforts by 26 countries, no wreckage was found in the initial search. Later, the Malaysian government confirmed that the plane had continued flying until it ran out of fuel, and its final location was estimated to be in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.
Some debris from the aircraft has washed up along the coast of Africa and islands in the Indian Ocean, but the main wreckage has yet to be located.
As part of the resumed search, Ocean Infinity would receive up to $70 million if the wreckage is found. Relatives of the passengers have continued to demand compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and other involved parties.
Despite two previous unsuccessful attempts by Ocean Infinity in 2018, the search effort will target a 120,000-square-kilometer area of the southern Indian Ocean, guided by data from satellite communications between the aircraft and an Inmarsat satellite.