The deep-sea hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 will resume on Dec. 30, sparking renewed hope of finding the jet that vanished more than a decade ago.
US-based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity has been tapped to lead the search for the missing jet, which was carrying 239 people when it disappeared on March 8, 2024, Malaysia’s transport ministry said Wednesday.
The search will last 55 days, with Ocean Infinity set to look in targeted areas that are believed to have the highest probability of yielding new information, according to the transport ministry.
A map outlining the main locations relating to the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. AFP via Getty Images“The latest development underscores the government of Malaysia’s commitment to providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy,” the agency said.
The Boeing 777 plane disappeared from radar shortly after take off during a flight from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Beijing. The plane was carrying mostly Chinese nationals.
Satellite data showed the plane turned from its flight path and headed south toward the Indian Ocean, where officials believed it had crashed.
Previous search efforts have resulted in failure, with Malaysia’s government greenlighting a “no-find, no-fee” contract with Ocean Infinity in March to continue the search across a new 5,800-square-mile site in the ocean.
Should Ocean Infinity locate the aircraft, it will receive a payment of $70 million.
Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah.
Experts analyzing debris found on Reunion Island last week belongs to Malaysian Airlines flight 370 on Aug. 5, 2015. ZUMAPRESS.comThe firm was previously unsuccessful in finding any clues of the aircraft’s location during a 2018 search under a similar contract.
Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Punkett, however, claims that this upcoming search will utilize improved technology that wasn’t available in 2018.
While no bodies have ever been found from the wreckage, small pieces of debris from the plane have previously washed ashore on the east Africa coast and Indian Ocean islands.
A Malaysia Airlines aircraft sits on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on March 9, 2014. APChinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing was also hopeful that the search will be able to locate the aircraft and victims.
“We… appreciate the efforts made by the Malaysian side,” Jian said.
With Post wires
