A decade after its disappearance, the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has resumed, reigniting efforts to solve one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.
Maritime exploration company Ocean Infinity has relaunched the hunt, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed on Tuesday. While the details of its contract with Malaysia are still being finalized, Loke welcomed the firm’s initiative in deploying search vessels. He did not specify when the British-based company had resumed operations or how long the search would continue.
Flight MH370 vanished from radar in March 2014, shortly after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing with 239 people on board. Despite extensive investigations, the aircraft’s location and the reasons for its disappearance remain unknown.
Families of the missing passengers expressed both relief and hope. Grace Nathan, whose mother was aboard the flight, told AFP she was “pleased” the search was back on after years of inactivity. Jaquita Gonzales, whose husband was the flight’s supervisor, said the renewed effort could bring long-awaited closure.
According to marine tracking website Marinetraffic.com, Ocean Infinity’s vessel was in the southern Indian Ocean as of February 23. The Malaysian government agreed to restart the search in December 2024 under a “no-find-no-fee” deal, offering Ocean Infinity $70 million if it successfully locates and verifies the wreckage. The mission will cover a 15,000 sq km area over an 18-month period.
On the tenth anniversary of the tragedy, Australia had offered assistance to Malaysia, given that eight Australians were among the passengers. However, Australian authorities have confirmed they are not involved in this latest search.
Flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200, departed Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 am on March 8, 2014, but lost contact with air traffic control just two hours later while flying over the Strait of Malacca. It was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6:30 am.
In 2016, some families traveled to Madagascar to search for debris, after fragments of the plane were discovered on Tanzanian and Mozambican shores. Despite an extensive underwater search covering 120,000 sq km, Australian authorities ended their efforts in January 2017. Later that year, investigators admitted their inability to find the wreckage was an “almost inconceivable” tragedy.
Key questions remain, including why the plane veered off course toward the Indian Ocean and why its tracking systems stopped transmitting. Theories range from pilot sabotage to government conspiracies. Notably, flight simulator data from pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah’s home computer showed a course plotted toward the southern Indian Ocean.
Ocean Infinity previously led an unsuccessful search in 2018, but with advancements in technology and a fresh approach, hopes are once again high for answers.
