Malaysia announces resumption of MH370 search this month

Kuala Lumpur The Malaysian government revealed Wednesday that Ocean Infinity, a U.S.-based marine robotics company, will resume the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 over the Indian Ocean, more than 11 years after it disappeared.

The Boeing 777 vanished from radar 39 minutes after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on March 8, 2014, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Its disappearance remains one of aviation's greatest unsolved mysteries, as investigators have yet to determine the cause or location of the aircraft.

Ocean Infinity is scheduled to restart its search on December 30, targeting areas considered most likely to contain the wreckage. The operation will continue intermittently for 55 days. This follows a previous effort that was suspended earlier this year due to seasonal weather conditions.

Last Moments of MH370

The flight's final transmission to air traffic controllers was a brief, "Good night, Malaysian Three Seven Zero," before the aircraft crossed into Vietnamese airspace. Shortly after, its transponder stopped transmitting. Military radar tracked the plane turning back over the Andaman Sea, and satellite data suggested it continued flying for hours, possibly until running out of fuel, before plunging into a remote section of the southern Indian Ocean.

Theories surrounding the disappearance include hijacking, mechanical failure, or cabin depressurization. No distress signals, technical malfunctions, or extreme weather events have been confirmed. Investigators have not ruled out deliberate interference, as communications were deliberately cut and the aircraft's path diverted.

Passengers on Board

The flight carried a diverse group of passengers, including most from China, along with citizens from the U.S., France, Indonesia, and other countries. Among them were two Iranians traveling on stolen passports, a troupe of Chinese calligraphy artists, 20 employees of an American tech company, a stunt double for actor Jet Li, and several families with children.

History of the Search

Initial search efforts spanned the South China Sea, Andaman Sea, and southern Indian Ocean, coordinated by Malaysia, Australia, and China. Covering approximately 46,000 square miles, the operation employed ships, sonar-equipped aircraft, and underwater drones. Despite this scale, no significant wreckage was found, except for a flaperon discovered on Runion Island in July 2015, and a few additional fragments along the eastern African coastline. The search was halted in January 2017.

In 2018, Ocean Infinity resumed operations under a "no-find, no-fee" arrangement, focusing on areas highlighted by drift analysis. This effort also ended without locating the plane.

Challenges of the Indian Ocean Search

The vast and deep waters of the Indian Ocean, with depths averaging 2.5 miles, make locating wreckage extremely difficult. Poor weather conditions further complicated search efforts, and exact coordinates of the crash remain unknown.

In March, the Malaysian government approved a new "no-find, no-fee" contract with Ocean Infinity to search a recently identified 5,800-square-mile area. The company will be compensated $70 million only if the aircraft is discovered, employing updated technology and expert analysis to maximize the chance of success.

Author: Benjamin Carter