Kuala Lumpur: More than a decade after the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a renewed search operation has been launched to locate the missing aircraft. Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced on Tuesday that Ocean Infinity, a maritime research company, has restarted efforts to find the Boeing 777 that vanished on March 8, 2014, with 239 passengers on board.
Renewed Hope in the Search for MH370
Loke commended Ocean Infinity’s proactive approach in deploying search vessels for the renewed mission. However, he noted that negotiations between the Malaysian government and the company regarding the contract details were still ongoing. The precise timeline of the British company’s renewed search has not been disclosed.
The Malaysian government had initially announced in December 2024 its decision to restart the search for MH370, which vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The aircraft disappeared from radar screens, triggering the most extensive search operation in aviation history. Despite previous exhaustive efforts, the wreckage remains largely undiscovered, with only a few debris pieces found along coastlines over the years.
A “No Find, No Fee” Agreement
According to Loke, Ocean Infinity has reassured authorities of its readiness to take on the renewed search. He reiterated that the search mission is being conducted under a “no find, no fee” agreement, similar to the company’s previous attempt in 2018. Under this arrangement, Malaysia will compensate Ocean Infinity only if the aircraft is located. Reports indicate that the contract may be worth up to $70 million, with a projected duration of 18 months.
Ocean Infinity had previously undertaken a search in 2018, following Australia’s massive three-year operation, which ended in January 2017. Australia’s search covered approximately 120,000 square kilometers in the Indian Ocean but yielded only a few fragments of wreckage. Despite these efforts, the full fate of MH370 remains unknown.
Theories and Speculations Persist
The mystery surrounding MH370 has given rise to numerous theories—ranging from plausible explanations to more speculative claims. Some experts suggest that the aircraft’s course was deliberately altered, with suspicions pointing towards the experienced pilot, Zaharie Ahmad Shah. The final investigative report, published in 2018, highlighted air traffic control failures and confirmed that the flight path had been manually changed, but it did not provide conclusive answers regarding the plane’s disappearance.
A Renewed Mission for Closure
The families of the victims have long awaited answers, and this renewed search reignites hope for closure. Aviation experts believe that advanced technologies and refined search methods could increase the likelihood of success this time.
As the search resumes, the world watches with anticipation, hoping that after eleven years, the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 may finally be uncovered.
