The Malaysian government has agreed in principle to accept a second ‘no find, no fee’ proposal from a US company to resume the hunt for flight MH370, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean more than a decade ago, minister said Transport Anthony Loke Friday.
Loke said Cabinet ministers at their meeting last week signaled to Texas-based maritime robotics company Ocean Infinity to continue the seabed search operation next year at a new 15,000 square kilometer (5,800 square mile) site in the ocean.
“The proposed new search area, identified by Ocean Infinity, is based on the latest information and data analyzes conducted by experts and researchers. The company’s proposal is credible,” he said in a statement.
The Boeing 777 plane disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people, mostly Chinese nationals, on a flight from Malaysia’s capital. Kuala Lumpurto Beijing. Satellite data showed the plane deviated from its flight path and flew over the southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed.
Flight officer Rayan Gharazeddine scans the waters in the southern Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia from a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion during a search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, March 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
An expensive multinational search turned up no clues, although debris did wash up on shore East African coast and islands in the Indian Ocean. A private search in 2018 by Ocean Infinity also turned up nothing.
Under the new deal, Ocean Infinity will only get $70 million if significant wreckage is discovered, Loke said. He said his ministry will conclude negotiations with Ocean Infinity in early 2025. The company has indicated that January-April is the best time for the search, he said.
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“This decision reflects the government’s commitment to continue the search operation and bring closure to the families of MH370 passengers,” he added.
Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Punkett reportedly said earlier this year that the company had improved its technology since 2018. He said the company is working with many experts to analyze data and narrow the search area to the most likely site.
