Malaysia’s government has agreed in principle to accept a second “no find, no fee” proposal from a U.S. firm to renew the search for flight MH370, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean more than a decade ago, as stated by Transport Minister Anthony Loke on Friday.
Loke mentioned that Cabinet ministers approved the proposal during their meeting last week, allowing Texas-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity to continue the seabed search operation at a new 15,000-square-kilometer (5,800-square-mile) area in the ocean next year.
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According to Loke, “The proposed new search area, identified by Ocean Infinity, is based on the latest information and analyses conducted by experts and researchers. The company’s proposal is credible,” he declared in a statement.
The Boeing 777 vanished from radar shortly after taking off on March 8, 2014, with 239 people, mainly Chinese nationals, on board, on a flight from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Beijing. Satellite data indicated the plane deviated from its flight path towards the southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed.
Despite an expensive multinational search, no significant clues were found, although debris did wash up on the east African coast and various Indian Ocean islands. A private search conducted by Ocean Infinity in 2018 also yielded no discoveries.
Under the new agreement, Ocean Infinity will receive $70 million only if significant wreckage is discovered, as noted by Loke. He stated that negotiations with Ocean Infinity will be finalized in early 2025, and the firm has indicated that the period from January to April is optimal for the search.
“This decision reflects the government’s commitment to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of MH370 passengers,” he added.
Earlier this year, Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Punkett claimed that the company has enhanced its technology since 2018. He stated that the firm collaborates with numerous experts to analyze data and refine the search area to the most probable site.
