Malaysia has announced its decision to restart the search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, according to the country’s transport minister, more than a decade after the aircraft vanished in one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries.
Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 with 227 passengers and 12 crew members aboard, disappeared on 8 March 2014 while traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
“Our duty and commitment lie with the next of kin,” Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated during a press conference. “We are hopeful that this time we will have a positive outcome, enabling us to find the wreckage and provide closure for the families.”
Jiang Hui, whose mother was among the MH370 passengers, expressed gratitude for the decision to recommence the search, but noted that the journey to this point had been protracted and would benefit from more participants being involved.
The last transmission from MH370 occurred approximately 40 minutes after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The pilots signed off as the aircraft entered Vietnamese airspace over the Gulf of Thailand, after which its transponder ceased to operate.
Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke (C) inspects a wing flap discovered on Pemba Island, Tanzania, which was identified in 2019 as a missing part of MH370.
Military radar data indicated that the airplane deviated from its planned route, flying back over northern Malaysia before heading into the Andaman Sea, then turning southward at which point all communication was lost.
Since then, debris, some of which has been confirmed and some believed to be from the aircraft, has been found along the African coast and on islands in the Indian Ocean.
Mr. Loke mentioned that the suggestion to resume the search in the southern Indian Ocean was made by exploration firm Ocean Infinity, which conducted the last search for the plane that concluded in 2018.
A contract is set to be finalized for an 18-month duration, with the firm to receive $70 million if substantial wreckage is discovered, he added, noting that the search will take place on the seabed of a new area encompassing 15,000 square kilometers.
No specific details about the new search location have been disclosed.
More than 150 Chinese passengers were aboard the flight, alongside 50 Malaysians and citizens from countries including France, Australia, Indonesia, India, the United States, Ukraine, and Canada.
Families of the victims have sought compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, and the Allianz insurance group, among others.
Mr. Loke indicated that Malaysia has reviewed new information on potential wreckage locations from various experts, and Ocean Infinity is optimistic about the likelihood of locating the debris.
“All the data has been presented. Our team has reviewed it and considers it credible,” he stated.
In 2018, Malaysia engaged Ocean Infinity to conduct a search in the southern Indian Ocean; however, both attempts were unsuccessful.
This effort followed an underwater search by Malaysia, Australia, and China across a 120,000 square kilometer area of the southern Indian Ocean, utilizing data from automatic connections between an Inmarsat satellite and the aircraft.
The new agreement will operate under a no-find-no-fee structure, meaning Malaysia will only be required to pay Ocean Infinity if adequate wreckage is located and verified.
When questioned about the chances of finding the entire plane, Mr. Loke emphasized that it would be unrealistic to expect a definitive assurance.
“At this stage, nobody knows for certain. It has been over 10 years,” he remarked.
A 495-page report on the disappearance, published in 2018, suggested that the controls of the Boeing 777 had likely been intentionally manipulated to alter its course, but investigators could not ascertain who was responsible and refrained from drawing conclusions about the incident, stating that finding the wreckage is key to understanding what happened.
Investigators have reported that there were no suspicious activities related to the backgrounds, financial situations, training, or mental health of either the captain or co-pilot.
