11 years on, Malaysia resumes search for missing MH370 flight with 227 passengers, 12 crew members on board
PTC Web Desk: Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced on Tuesday that British maritime exploration firm Ocean Infinity has restarted efforts to locate Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, nearly a decade after its mysterious disappearance. The Boeing 777, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, vanished on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, marking one of aviation’s greatest unsolved mysteries.
While Loke confirmed that contract negotiations between Malaysia and Ocean Infinity are ongoing, he commended the firm’s initiative in deploying vessels to resume the search. However, he did not specify when the latest operation began or how long it is expected to last.
The Malaysian government had agreed in principle to revive the search in December 2024. Ocean Infinity had previously undertaken search missions in 2018 but was unsuccessful. Similar to previous agreements, the company stands to receive $70 million if it finds substantial wreckage of the missing aircraft.
Despite extensive underwater searches by Malaysia, Australia, and China, covering a 120,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean, the plane's exact location remains unknown. Some debris, confirmed or suspected to be from MH370, has washed ashore on African coastlines and Indian Ocean islands and remains in Malaysian custody.
More than 150 Chinese nationals were among the passengers aboard MH370. Their families have continued demanding compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls-Royce (the engine manufacturer), and Allianz (the insurer). Initial investigations had not ruled out the possibility that the aircraft was deliberately diverted off course, adding to the mystery.
- With inputs from agencies
