Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 that vanished without a trace in 2014; why the search now

Malaysia’s transport ministry announced Wednesday that the deep-sea search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 will restart on December 30, renewing hopes of uncovering the fate of the aircraft that disappeared more than ten years ago.

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Flight 370, a Boeing 777 carrying 239 people, most of them Chinese nationals, vanished on March 8, 2014, shortly after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. Satellite data later indicated that the jet veered off its planned route and flew south into a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean, where investigators believe it ultimately crashed.

According to the ministry, US-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity will conduct intermittent search operations beginning December 30, covering 55 days in areas assessed to have the highest probability of locating the wreckage.

“This latest development reflects the Malaysian government’s continued commitment to providing closure to the families impacted by this tragedy,” the ministry said.

Earlier this year, Malaysia approved a “no-find, no-fee” agreement with Ocean Infinity to examine a new 15,000-square-kilometre section of the seabed. Under the contract, the company would receive $70 million only if it locates the aircraft. A previous phase of the search was halted in April due to rough weather.

Despite one of the most extensive and costly multinational searches in aviation history, no definitive trace of the plane has been found, aside from debris that washed up on shores in East Africa and islands in the Indian Ocean. Ocean Infinity also conducted a private search in 2018, which ended without new discoveries.

inputs from AP