Malaysia is set to resume the search for the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which mysteriously disappeared with 239 people on board in 2014. according to Independent, This new development is inspired by a “credible” proposal that identifies a new exploration area in the southern Indian Ocean. The proposal, submitted by US-based marine exploration company Ocean Infinity in June 2024, outlines an exploration plan for a 15,000 sq km area off the coast of Western Australia. Interestingly, the search will follow a “no search, no fee” structure, ensuring that Malaysia will only bear the costs if debris is found.
Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed advanced talks with Ocean Infinity in Parliament on 5 November.
”Based on the latest information and analysis from experts and researchers, Ocean Infinity’s discovery proposal is credible and the Malaysian government can recognize it as the official registrar of flight. The requested terms and costs are in the same draft agreement currently being negotiated between the government and Ocean Infinity. Should it be finalised, Cabinet approval will be required, and I will make a public announcement,” Mr Loke said.
He also revealed that the company is requesting a fee of $70 million if successful.
Texas-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity previously claimed they had scientific evidence of the final resting place of the missing flight and had also submitted a proposal to the Malaysian government. Ocean Infinity last attempted to find the missing plane in 2018.
“We now feel in a position to be able to return to the search for MH370, and we have submitted a proposal to the Malaysian government,” said Oliver Plunkett, the company’s chief executive. “Finding MH370 and bringing some resolution to all those involved with the loss of the plane has remained on our minds since we left the southern Indian Ocean in 2018.”
The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been long and challenging. After the plane disappeared in 2014 with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, satellite data analysis showed it likely crashed in the southern Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia. Despite two major searches, one led by Malaysia, China and Australia, and the other led by Ocean Infinity, no significant findings emerged.
The initial search area was vast, encompassing Southeast Asia, and later expanded to the Indian Ocean. Various countries, including the US, Britain, China and Australia, participated in the search effort, which involved about 60 ships and 50 aircraft. Unfortunately, the search was suspended in 2017, and the 2018 search for Ocean Infinity also ended without success.
Malaysia’s renewed search effort for the missing flight comes as a Beijing court is currently reviewing compensation claims from more than 40 families of Chinese passengers aboard the plane. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has praised Malaysia’s ongoing commitment to resolving the matter, with spokesman Wang Wenbin welcoming the cooperation.
