KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Malaysian government has delivered its final endorsement for a renewed search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, entrusting the operation to Ocean Infinity, a marine robotics firm based in Texas. The plane is believed to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean over a decade ago.
According to Transport Minister Anthony Loke, a cabinet meeting resulted in the approval of a “no-find, no-fee” agreement with Ocean Infinity. The arrangement allows for the resumption of the seabed exploration in a new 15,000-square-kilometer (5,800-square-mile) area within the ocean. The terms of the contract ensure Ocean Infinity receives a payment of $70 million, but only if they find the wreckage.
Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, disappeared from radar screens shortly after its departure on March 8, 2014. The plane, carrying 239 passengers, predominantly Chinese nationals, was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Analysis of satellite data suggested the aircraft veered off its planned course and headed towards the remote southern Indian Ocean, where it presumably crashed.
Extensive international search efforts did not yield any definitive clues about its whereabouts, though some debris eventually washed up on the shores of east Africa and certain Indian Ocean islands. A prior search conducted privately by Ocean Infinity in 2018 also ended without success.
This new search decision follows the Malaysian government’s conditional approval, granted three months prior, to explore the potential for a renewed investigation. Ocean Infinity’s Chief Executive Officer Oliver Punkett has noted advancements in their technological capabilities since 2018. Punkett mentioned that the company is collaborating with multiple experts to interpret data, having identified what they consider to be the most probable location for the aircraft.
While Loke stated that the agreement with Ocean Infinity would be finalized soon, he refrained from divulging specifics about the contractual arrangement. Reports suggest that the firm has already deployed a search vessel to the target area and has identified the months between January and April as optimal for conducting the search.
“The government remains committed to advancing the search operation,” Loke affirmed. “We aim to provide closure to the families of those onboard MH370,” he reiterated.