Malaysia has officially approved a renewed search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, 11 years after it vanished.
The search will focus on a 15,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean under a “no find, no fee” deal with exploration firm Ocean Infinity. If the wreckage is found, the company will receive $70 million (£56 million), Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook confirmed.
Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 239 people, disappeared on 8 March 2014 while traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite extensive search efforts, including a multinational operation covering 120,000 sq km of ocean, its fate remains one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.
History of the Search
Following the aircraft’s disappearance, early search efforts focused on the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. However, analysis later indicated the plane had turned south towards the Indian Ocean. In March 2014, Malaysia requested international assistance, leading to a large-scale surface and underwater search involving multiple countries.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) led an extensive underwater search based on satellite communications analysis and drift modeling of debris found along the shores of the Indian Ocean and East Africa. Despite covering vast areas of the seafloor, the search—conducted in extreme conditions far from land—failed to locate the wreckage.
In January 2017, Malaysia, Australia, and China suspended the operation, stating it would resume only if credible new evidence emerged. A private search by Ocean Infinity in 2018 also ended without success.
A Step Toward Closure
Now, with final approval from the Malaysian government, the search is set to resume. Loke stated that authorities remain committed to “providing closure for the families of MH370 passengers.”
The disappearance of MH370 has sparked numerous theories, including speculation about pilot involvement and foreign military action. A 2018 investigation suggested deliberate interference with the aircraft’s controls but did not reach a definitive conclusion.
Relatives of the missing passengers continue to demand answers. Earlier this month, grieving families gathered outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, calling for transparency and renewed efforts to uncover the truth.
The latest search announcement has drawn mixed reactions—some see it as a step forward, while others remain skeptical. For now, the mystery of MH370 remains unresolved.