Malaysia announces restart of search for MH370 based on ‘credible’ proposal

Malaysia is all set to restart the search for the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which mysteriously disappeared in 2014 with 239 people on board. According to the Independent, this new development is fueled by a ‘credible’ proposal that identifies a new search area in the southern Indian Ocean. The proposal, submitted by US marine exploration company Ocean Infinity in June 2024, outlines a search plan for an area of ​​15,000 square kilometers off the coast of Western Australia. Interestingly, the search will follow a ‘no find, no fee’ structure, meaning Malaysia will only bear the costs if the wreck is found.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed advanced talks with Ocean Infinity in Parliament on November 5.

”Based on the latest information and analysis from experts and researchers, Ocean Infinity’s search proposal is credible and can be considered by the Malaysian government as the official registrar of the flight. The requested terms and costs are in the same draft agreement currently being negotiated between the government and Ocean Infinity. Should it be finalized, Cabinet approval will be required and I will make a public announcement,” Mr Loke said

He also said that the company will seek a $70 million fee if successful.

Ocean Infinity, a maritime robotics company based in Texas, previously claimed this is the case scientific proof of the last r of the missing flightlocation and also submitted a proposal to the Malaysian government. Ocean Infinity had last tried to find the missing plane in 2018.

The company’s CEO, Oliver Plunkett, said: ‘We now feel in a position to return to the search for MH370 and have submitted a proposal to the Malaysian government. “Finding MH370 and bringing some resolution to everyone in relation to the loss of the aircraft has been a constant in 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 went missing in 2014 with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, satellite data analysis suggested 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 another by Ocean Infinity, no significant findings were made.

The initial search area was vast, covering Southeast Asia, later expanding to the Indian Ocean. Several countries joined the search, including the US, UK, China and Australia, which involved almost 60 ships and 50 aircraft. Unfortunately, the search was suspended in 2017 and Ocean Infinity’s 2018 search also ended without success.

Malaysia’s renewed search efforts for the missing flight come as a Beijing court is currently reviewing compensation claims from more than 40 families of Chinese passengers who were on board. China’s Foreign Ministry has expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s continued efforts to resolve the matter, with spokesman Wang Wenbin welcoming the cooperation.