Malaysia Approves Renewed Search for MH370 Wreckage in Indian Ocean
Malaysia’s government has officially approved the resumption of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared more than a decade ago in the southern Indian Ocean. The search will be carried out by Ocean Infinity, a Texas-based marine robotics company, under a “no-find, no-fee” agreement.
Details of the Search Agreement
Cabinet ministers approved the terms for Ocean Infinity to conduct a new search over a 15,000-square-kilometer (5,800-square-mile) area of the Indian Ocean. The company will be paid $70 million only if wreckage from the flight is discovered. This follows months of deliberation and approval for the operation to proceed.
Flight MH370’s Disappearance
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a Boeing 777, vanished from radar shortly after departing from Kuala Lumpur, bound for Beijing, carrying 239 people, mostly Chinese nationals. Satellite data indicated that the plane deviated from its flight path and headed south, ultimately believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean.
Despite a large multinational search effort, no clues to the aircraft’s location were found, though debris washed ashore along the east African coast and on Indian Ocean islands. A 2018 private search by Ocean Infinity also yielded no results.
Improved Technology for New Search
The new search follows approval from the Malaysian government, which came three months after initial plans for the operation were given the go-ahead. Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Punkett stated that the company’s technology has improved since its 2018 search. The firm is now working with experts to analyze data and has narrowed the search to the most likely location.
The Government’s Commitment to Closure
Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that his ministry would soon finalize the contract with Ocean Infinity but did not provide specific details on the terms. Ocean Infinity has already dispatched a search vessel to the area and indicated that the search window from January to April is optimal for the operation.
Loke emphasized the Malaysian government’s commitment to continuing the search effort and providing closure for the families of the missing passengers. “The government is committed to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of the passengers of flight MH370,” he stated.
This renewed search for Flight MH370 represents a continued effort to bring answers to the mystery surrounding one of the most significant aviation disappearances in history.
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