The Malaysian government has announced its agreement in principle to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared 10 years ago in one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries.
Flight MH370 vanished in March 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.
Despite extensive efforts over the years, the wreckage of the Boeing 777 has not been found, leaving the families of those on board still grappling with the tragedy.
On Friday, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke revealed that the cabinet has approved a $70 million (£56 million) agreement with U.S.-based marine exploration company Ocean Infinity to restart the search.
Under a “no find, no fee” arrangement, Ocean Infinity will only be compensated if it locates the wreckage.
A previous search conducted by Ocean Infinity in 2018 under similar terms ended without success after three months.
A multinational search effort, which cost $150 million, was called off in 2017 after two years of exploring vast areas of the Indian Ocean.
While the government has given its approval in principle, Loke stated that negotiations over the terms of the new agreement are ongoing and expected to be finalized early next year.
The new search will focus on a 15,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean.
“We hope this time will be positive,” Loke said, adding that finding the wreckage would give closure to the families of those on board.
Flight MH370 departed from Kuala Lumpur in the early hours of March 8, 2014, but lost communication with air traffic control less than an hour into its journey. Radar data revealed that the aircraft veered off its intended flight path.
While investigators generally agree that the plane likely crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, the reasons behind its disappearance remain unknown.
Over the years, fragments believed to be from the aircraft have washed ashore along the Indian Ocean, offering limited clues to its fate.
The mystery has fueled numerous conspiracy theories, ranging from allegations of deliberate action by the pilot to suggestions that the plane was shot down by foreign military forces.
A 2018 investigation concluded that the plane’s controls were likely intentionally manipulated to divert it off course. However, the report did not identify who was responsible, stating that a definitive answer could only emerge if the wreckage is discovered.