KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — In a significant development to one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries, Malaysian authorities have announced the resumption of the deep-sea search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The renewed operation, scheduled to commence on December 30, represents the latest effort to locate the aircraft that disappeared without explanation over a decade ago.
The Boeing 777 vanished from radar systems on March 8, 2014, during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew aboard, predominantly Chinese citizens. Satellite communications indicated the aircraft dramatically altered its intended flight path, diverting southward before presumably crashing in the remote southern Indian Ocean.
According to an official statement from Malaysia’s Transport Ministry, Texas-based Ocean Infinity, a specialist in marine robotics, will conduct the search operation under a unique performance-based contract. The company will deploy advanced underwater technology across a targeted 15,000-square-kilometer (5,800-square-mile) zone identified through updated analysis as having the highest probability of containing wreckage.
The search protocol involves intermittent operations over a 55-day period, with compensation of $70 million contingent exclusively upon successful discovery of aircraft debris. This “no-find, no-fee” arrangement, initially approved in March but delayed due to adverse weather conditions, demonstrates the government’s renewed determination to resolve the tragedy.
Previous extensive multinational search efforts, including Ocean Infinity’s 2018 mission, yielded no definitive results despite recovering scattered debris along eastern African coastlines and Indian Ocean islands. The latest initiative reflects Malaysia’s ongoing commitment to providing closure for affected families while advancing technical understanding of deep-sea search capabilities.