Malaysia’s Transport Ministry on Wednesday announced that the deep-sea search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 will resume on December 30, renewing hopes of finally locating the jet that vanished without a trace more than a decade ago.
The Boeing 777 disappeared from radar shortly after taking off on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people—mostly Chinese nationals—on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Satellite data revealed that the aircraft deviated from its planned flight path and turned south toward the far-southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed.
The transport ministry said in a statement that US-based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity will conduct intermittent searches from December 30 for a total of 55 days, focusing on areas believed to have the highest likelihood of locating the missing aircraft.
“The latest development underscores the government of Malaysia’s commitment to providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy,” it said.
Malaysia’s government had approved a “no-find, no-fee” contract with Ocean Infinity in March to resume the seabed search at a new 15,000-square-kilometre site in the Indian Ocean. Under the agreement, the company will receive $70 million only if wreckage is found. The search was halted in April due to bad weather.
A costly multinational search earlier failed to uncover any clues to the jet’s location, although debris washed ashore along the east African coast and on Indian Ocean islands. A private search undertaken by Ocean Infinity in 2018 also yielded no results.
