Malaysia agrees to new search mission for flight MH370

The Malaysian government has accepted Ocean Infinity’s proposal on a “no find, no fee" basis. The investigations carried out from 2014 to 2018 led to nothing. Today, the British robotics company says it wants to explore 15,000 square kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) – What happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is still one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in aviation history.

On 8 March 2014, the Boeing 777-200ER took off from Kuala Lumpur airport bound for Beijing, but never reached its destination. Along with the aircraft, the 239 people on board, mostly Chinese nationals, disappeared.

Ten years later, at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, said that the Malaysian government has accepted the proposal of Ocean Infinity, a Southampton-based robotics company, to launch a new search mission, stressing that it will be based on the "no find, no fee" principle.

This means the government will not pay anything to the company if the wreckage is not found. If it is found, it will pay a US$ 70 million fee.

According to what is known so far about flight MH370, the plane made an unplanned detour towards the South China Sea before heading towards the Andaman Sea. It flew over the Indonesian island of Sumatra to finally disappear into the Indian Ocean.

The most expensive search in aviation history began in 2014, involving 26 countries, but was called off four years later, on 29 May 2018.

“The company’s proposal is credible and merits further examination by the Malaysian government,” Loke said.

Based on recent data analysis, Ocean Infinity has proposed a new search in an area of 15,000 square kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean.

The minister stressed that the 18-month contract is being reviewed by lawyers, and that the search will begin once both parties have signed it.

"The best time for them to search that area is between January and April,” Loke explained.

The search will begin once the contract is signed, which the Malaysian government aims to finalise as soon as possible.

“[U]nder the terms and conditions, any discovery must be credible. It cannot just be a few fragments; there are specific criteria”, he explained, adding that the British company feels confident.

Speaking about the government’s role, the minister insisted that, “Our responsibility and obligation and commitment is to the next of kin.”

• malaysia
• malaysia airlines flight mh370
• indian ocean
• ocean infinity
• robotics