Malaysia restarts search for MH370

Boeing 777 flight MH370 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members disappeared on March 8, 2014 on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Malaysia is set to restart the search for the ill-fated MH370 flight more than a decade after it went missing, based on a "credible" proposal for a new search area in the southern Indian Ocean.

The Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members disappeared on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Malaysia, China and Australia ended a joint search operation in January 2017 without any significant findings. A subsequent search by the private US marine exploration company Ocean Infinity also ended unsuccessfully in June 2018.

However, on November 5, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that Kuala Lumpur is currently negotiating with Ocean Infinity about the proposal the company made in June 2024 to continue searching for the wreckage of MH370 on the ocean floor in an area of ​​15,000 square kilometers off the coast of Western Australia.

The proposal is based on a "no find, no fee" principle, meaning the government would not have to pay if the plane's wreckage was not found.

On November 5, answering questions in the Malaysian Parliament, Minister Loke said, "Based on the latest information and analysis from experts and researchers, Ocean Infinity's search proposal is credible and can be considered by the Malaysian government as the official registration authority of the flight."

Ocean Infinity is asking for a $70 million fee, similar to the one proposed in 2018, if the wreckage is found, he added.

The Malaysian Transport Ministry will announce details after negotiations are concluded and approved by the Cabinet.

Sources familiar with the matter said the new search area has been expanded “left and right” compared to the area Ocean Infinity explored in 2018.

An unnamed source told The Straits Times that the period from November to March is the best time to start the search, as “the seas in the southern hemisphere summer are usually calmer compared to the fierce storms in winter. The longer the delay, the narrower the search window.”

Months before the 10th anniversary of MH370's disappearance, a court in Beijing has begun hearing compensation claims from more than 40 families of Chinese passengers on the flight, accounting for two-thirds of the total passengers.

After the lawsuit was initiated, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin appreciated Malaysia's continued follow-up on the case and hoped that the parties would maintain close communication.

Dr Lam Choong Wah, a defence expert in international and strategic studies at the University of Malaya, suggested Kuala Lumpur cooperate with China in a new search for MH370, especially as the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations approaches.

Mr Lam added that since the majority of passengers on the flight were Chinese, “Malaysia should not block cooperation with Beijing in the search for the plane wreckage. China has the most advanced seabed exploration technology.”

Dr Lam referred to Chinese oceanographic research and survey vessels, such as the Xiang Yang Hong, which have been operating regularly in the Indian Ocean since 2016. He also said that as the official owner of MH370, Malaysia has an obligation to find out the truth and help the families and loved ones of the victims get final answers about the incident.