The Malaysian government has agreed in principle to restart the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board, becoming one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that a deal worth $70 million has been tentatively approved with US-based marine exploration firm Ocean Infinity. The arrangement is under a “no find, no fee” structure, meaning the company will only be paid if the wreckage is located. Negotiations to finalize the terms are expected to conclude early next year.
The new search will focus on a 15,000-square-kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean based on newly reviewed data that the government considers credible. Previous searches, including a 2018 operation by Ocean Infinity and a multinational effort costing $150 million, failed to locate the Boeing 777.
“We hope this time will be positive,” Loke said, adding that finding the plane would bring closure to the families who have endured nearly 11 years of uncertainty and grief.
Relatives of those on board welcomed the development, with some describing it as a long-awaited step toward answers. “It feels like the best Christmas present ever,” said Jacquita Gonzales, whose husband was an MH370 crew member.
Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Plunkett praised the decision, expressing optimism about the upcoming mission.
Flight MH370 disappeared less than an hour after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on March 8, 2014. Investigators believe the plane crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, though its exact location remains unknown. Debris linked to the aircraft has been found on Indian Ocean shores over the years, but the full wreckage has never been located.
The mystery has fueled numerous theories, with investigations suggesting the controls may have been deliberately manipulated to alter the plane’s course. However, the ultimate cause of the disappearance remains unresolved, pending the discovery of the wreckage.
