Malaysia agrees to resume ‘no find, no fee’ hunt for flight MH370, 10 years after plane disappeared

Malaysian government has agreed in principle to accept a second “no find, no fee” proposal from a US company to resume the search for flight MH370, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean more than 10 years ago, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Friday.

Loke said cabinet ministers at a meeting last week approved Texas-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity to resume a seabed search operation at a new 15,000 square kilometer (5,800 square mile) ocean site next year.

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“The proposed new search area, identified by Ocean Infinity, is based on the latest information and data analysis conducted by experts and researchers. The company’s proposal is credible,” he said in a statement.

The Boeing 777 disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people, mostly Chinese nationals, on a flight from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpurto Beijing. Satellite data shows the plane veered off its flight path and headed over the southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed.

Flight Officer Rayan Gharazeddine scans the waters of the southern Indian Ocean off Australia from a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion during the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, March 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

An expensive multinational search failed to find any traces, although debris washed ashore East African coast and islands of the Indian Ocean. A private search of Ocean Infinity in 2018 also turned up nothing.

Under the new contract, Ocean Infinity will receive $70 million only if a significant wreck is discovered, Loke said. He said his ministry will complete negotiations with Ocean Infinity in early 2025. The company has indicated that January-April is the best period to search, he said.

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“This decision reflects the government’s commitment to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of MH370 passengers,” he added.

Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Punkett earlier this year reportedly said the company had improved its technology since 2018. He said the company was working with many experts to analyze the data and narrow down the search area to the most likely location.