Malaysia's government has authorized the resumption of the search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished over the southern Indian Ocean more than a decade ago.
A Texas-based marine robotics company, Ocean Infinity, has been granted approval to begin a new search operation, covering a vast 15,000-square-kilometre (5,800-square-mile) area.
The Malaysian government has entered into a "no-find, no-fee" contract with Ocean Infinity, meaning the company will only receive payment if wreckage is discovered. The agreed fee is $70 million. The renewed search comes after Malaysia’s earlier decision in December 2024 to give provisional approval, with final approval granted on March 19, 2025.
Flight MH370 vanished from radar shortly after taking off on March 8, 2014, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bound for Beijing, China. The Boeing 777 aircraft was carrying 239 passengers, mostly Chinese nationals.
The plane's sudden and unexplained deviation from its flight path led investigators to conclude that it most likely crashed into the southern Indian Ocean. Despite extensive multinational search efforts, including a $150 million operation from 2014 to 2017, no definitive wreckage was found, although debris from the aircraft has been discovered on shores of the Indian Ocean and islands along the African coast.
In 2018, Ocean Infinity conducted a private search, also without success. However, the company believes it has improved its technology since then and has narrowed the search area to a more targeted region.
The disappearance of MH370 remains one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history, and the renewed search has been met with mixed reactions from the victims' families. On the one hand, some see it as a crucial step towards closure, while others express frustration at the lack of communication from Malaysian authorities.
The families of passengers have long called for transparency from the Malaysian government, with many noting that they were often left to learn of developments through the media rather than direct updates. In March, during the 11th anniversary of the plane's disappearance, grieving family members gathered outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, demanding answers and closure.
Li Eryou, who lost his 29-year-old son, expressed his dissatisfaction with Malaysia’s communication. “It was promised that we would be informed immediately, but we can only find out about this kind of news online,” he said. “Many families don’t even know how to access this information.”
The cause of MH370’s disappearance remains unknown. Investigations, including a 2018 inquiry, concluded that the plane’s flight controls were likely deliberately manipulated, but no definitive reasons were found behind the crash.
Numerous conspiracy theories have flourished over the years, including speculations about deliberate action by the pilot or theories about the plane being shot down by a foreign military. However, investigators have emphasized that a conclusive answer can only be reached if the wreckage is located.
The passengers of MH370 hailed from multiple countries, with the largest group being Chinese nationals, followed by Malaysians, Australians, and citizens from several other countries, including Indonesia, India, France, Ukraine, the US, and others.
Malaysia's Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, reiterated the government’s commitment to continuing the search and providing closure to the families of the passengers. "The government is committed to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of the MH370 passengers," he stated.
The new search is expected to begin soon, with the best conditions for the operation falling between January and April. Ocean Infinity’s CEO, Oliver Punkett, has said that the company is working with various experts to analyze data and identify the most likely location for the wreckage.
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