Look for MH370 to restart on ‘credible’ proposal, says Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia is set to restart the search ill-fated flight MH370, more than a decade after the airliner disappeared, citing a “credible” proposal suggesting a new search area in the southern Indian Ocean.

The Boeing 777, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, disappeared on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Malaysia, China and Australia ended their joint search for the plane in January 2017 after no significant results were found.

A subsequent search by US-based private marine exploration company Ocean Infinity was also unsuccessful June 2018.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed on November 5 that Kuala Lumpur is currently in negotiations with Ocean Infinity regarding a proposal the company made in June 2024 to resume the underwater search for the MH370 wreckage in an area of ​​15,000 square km off the coast of Western Australia.

The proposal is based on the principle of “no find, no fee”, meaning the government will not pay if no wreckage is found.

“Based on the latest information and analysis from experts and researchers, the search proposal for Ocean Infinity is credible and can be considered by the Malaysian government as the official recorder of the flight,” he told Parliament on November 5 in response to questions from two parliamentarians.

Loke added that Ocean Infinity is seeking a fee of US$70 million (S$92 million) – a similar amount to what was proposed in 2018 – should the wreckage be found.

The Ministry of Transport will announce further details after the conclusion of negotiations and the approval of the Cabinet.

Sources familiar with the matter said the new search area extended “to the left and right” of the area explored by Ocean Infinity in 2018.

“Furthermore, the period from November to March is the best time to initiate the search, as the waters of the Southern Hemisphere summer are calmer compared to the fierce storms of winter.

“The longer we delay, the shorter the search window,” a source told The Straits Times, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations are still ongoing.

Months before the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of MH370, a court in Beijing began hearings on compensation claims from more than 40 families of Chinese passengers on board the flight, representing two-thirds of the total passenger manifest.

After the trial began, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin expressed his appreciation for Malaysia’s continued follow-up to the incident, adding that he hoped all parties would maintain close communication.

The mysterious disappearance of MH370 has been a major point of contention in Malaysia-China relations.