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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The enduring mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 may finally see a new chapter as Malaysia’s transport ministry announced Wednesday that the deep-sea search for the vanished jet will recommence on December 30. This development reignites hope for the families and loved ones of the 239 individuals on board the Boeing 777, which disappeared without a trace more than a decade ago.
The aircraft, predominantly carrying Chinese nationals, vanished from radar shortly after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on March 8, 2014. Satellite data indicated an unexpected deviation from its planned route, suggesting the plane turned south into the remote Indian Ocean, where it is presumed to have crashed.
According to a statement from the transport ministry, U.S.-based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity will conduct an intermittent search over a total of 55 days, beginning December 30. The operation will focus on targeted areas identified as having the highest probability of locating the missing aircraft.
“The latest development underscores the government of Malaysia’s commitment in providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy,” the statement affirmed.
In March, the Malaysian government approved a “no-find, no-fee” contract with Ocean Infinity. Under this agreement, the firm will be compensated $70 million only if wreckage is discovered within a new 15,000-square-kilometer (5,800-square-mile) search site. The previous search effort was temporarily suspended in April due to adverse weather conditions.
Prior attempts, including an extensive multinational search and a private endeavor by Ocean Infinity in 2018, failed to yield concrete clues regarding the plane’s whereabouts, although some debris believed to be from the aircraft washed ashore on the coasts of East Africa and Indian Ocean islands.