Malaysia mulls renewed search for Flight MH370 as disappearance nears 10th anniversary
By Ryan General
Malaysia is considering resuming the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the passenger plane that vanished nearly a decade ago.
Mysterious tragedy: On March 8, 2014, Flight MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, leaving its final location a lingering mystery ever since.
Renewed hope: On Sunday, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke revealed that Texas-based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity, which failed its two previous attempts at finding the plane, has proposed a “no find, no fee” arrangement to once again search the suspected crash site in the southern Indian Ocean, reported CNN.
Push for a new contract: Loke, who attended an event remembering the tragedy, shared that the exploration firm submitted a “credible” new search plan to locate the missing plane. He said he now intends to do “everything possible” to obtain Cabinet approval for the contract renewal. While he declined to disclose the specific fee Ocean Infinity requested in the proposal, he assured that cost wouldn’t be a barrier and expressed optimism regarding the search moving forward.
Renewed commitment: Ocean Infinity said it now has evidence of the plane’s location at the bottom of the ocean, claiming that it has improved its search capabilities since its last unsuccessful attempt in 2018. Malaysia‘s government offered up to $70 million to the firm if it located the plane at the time.
“Finding MH370 and bringing some resolution for all connected with the loss of the aircraft has been a constant in our minds since we left the southern Indian Ocean in 2018,” CEO Oliver Plunkett told ABC News. “Since then, we have focused on driving the transformation of operations at sea; innovating with technology and robotics to further advance our ocean search capabilities.”
Families remain hopeful: The families of the MH370 victims, who have endured a decade of uncertainty and grief, welcomed the prospect of a renewed search.
Jacquita Gomes, whose husband was among the flight’s crew, is among those who expressed profound gratitude, according to the Associated Press.
“We have been on a roller coaster for the last 10 years,” she was quoted as saying. “If it is not found, I hope that it will continue with another search.”
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