The Malaysian government has reactivated its search efforts for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 after more than a decade without conclusive results. Deep-sea robotics company Ocean Infinity is scheduled to resume seabed search operations on December 30, after having previously suspended its mission due to adverse weather conditions.
Ocean Infinity will conduct a 55-day operation, carrying out searches in phases depending on weather conditions. Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport stated that the search will focus on areas considered to have the highest probability of locating the missing aircraft.
US$70 Million “No-Find, No-Fee” Scheme
The Malaysian government and Ocean Infinity have once again agreed to apply a “no-find, no-fee” scheme, under which the company will receive payment of US$70 million only if the aircraft wreckage is found. This arrangement mirrors the 2018 agreement, although that earlier search did not yield results.
Ocean Infinity is reported to have upgraded its search technology since its previous operations and is collaborating with international experts to analyze data and further narrow down the most promising search zones.
The Ministry of Transport emphasized that the renewed effort reflects the nation’s commitment to providing certainty to the victims’ families. Support has also been expressed by China and Australia, both of which were previously involved in large-scale search operations.
Search History: The Largest in Aviation History
The earlier search for MH370 was the largest underwater search operation ever conducted in aviation history. Australia, Malaysia, and China led efforts covering approximately 120,000 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean seabed west of Australia.
Dozens of aircraft and vessels equipped with sonar systems and autonomous underwater vehicles were deployed over several years.
A number of detected signals initially thought to be from the aircraft’s black box were later determined to be unrelated to MH370. The first confirmed piece of debris—a flaperon—was discovered on Réunion Island in July 2015.
Additional small fragments were subsequently found along the eastern African coastline and on islands in the Indian Ocean. However, the main fuselage and the remains of the passengers have never been located.
Repeated search efforts have been hampered by uncertainty surrounding the aircraft’s crash location. The Indian Ocean is an immense region marked by severe weather and depths of up to around four kilometers, making it one of the most challenging search environments in the world.
Global Response to Families’ Demands
Families of the victims from various countries have continued to urge the Malaysian government not to abandon the search. Many of them have been actively involved in independent efforts, including organizing shoreline searches in Madagascar in 2016 to look for aircraft debris.
Australia, China, and the United States have welcomed Malaysia’s decision to resume the search. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “We … appreciate the efforts made by the Malaysian side.”
MH370: A Brief Timeline of the Disappearance
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, approximately 39 minutes after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. The crew’s final communication to air traffic control was, “Good night, Malaysian Three Seven Zero.”
The aircraft then failed to make contact with Vietnamese authorities after entering their airspace. Shortly thereafter, the plane’s transponder stopped transmitting signals.
Military radar data later indicated that the aircraft changed course westward across the Andaman Sea. Satellite analysis suggested that the plane continued flying for several hours before it is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean after running out of fuel.
The Boeing 777 was carrying 239 people—227 passengers and 12 crew members—from multiple countries, including China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, India, France, the United States, Russia, and others.
Two Iranian nationals were later found to have been traveling on stolen passports. Several other passengers were engineers from Freescale Semiconductor, while another group consisted of Chinese calligraphy artists.
A Malaysian investigation report released in 2018 concluded that the aircraft was likely being manually controlled when it deviated from its planned flight path.
However, the findings were insufficient to determine the definitive cause of the disappearance. The report emphasized that a credible explanation “can only be obtained if the aircraft wreckage is found.”
