Malaysia is preparing to relaunch the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 - ten years after its mysterious disappearance with 239 people aboard.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed to the country's parliament that the government is in advanced talks with US-based marine exploration company Ocean Infinity over what officials describe as a "credible" proposal to search a new area in the southern Indian Ocean.
The latest development has followed the mystery reaching its 10-year mark since the Boeing 777 vanished during its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014.
Ocean Infinity's new proposal, submitted in June 2024, has outlined plans to search a 15,000-square-kilometre zone off Western Australia's coast.
The plane has been missing for a decade
GETTYThe company has proposed a "no find, no fee" arrangement, with a success fee of $70million - similar to their previous search terms.
Transport Minister Loke told parliament: "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 flight's official registrar."
The minister added that the terms are currently being negotiated and that cabinet approval will be required before proceeding.
The Beijing court is currently considering compensation claims from over 40 families of Chinese passengers from the ill-fated flight.
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Previous search efforts have been extensive and expensive. Previously, Malaysia, Australia, and China conducted an initial underwater search covering 120,000 square kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean, costing approximately £143million before being called off in January 2017.
Ocean Infinity first attempted to locate the aircraft in 2018 under a similar "no-cure, no-fee" arrangement. Their three-month search covered 112,000 square kilometres north of the original target area but proved unsuccessful.
More than 30 pieces of suspected aircraft debris have been found along Africa's coast and on Indian Ocean islands. However, only three wing fragments have been confirmed as belonging to MH370.
A 495-page report published in July 2018 concluded that the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated, though investigators could not determine who was responsible.
Earlier this year, an investigator examining the disappearance of MH370 has ruled out a new search after accusing the Malaysian government of covering up the disaster
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The renewed search effort has garnered international attention, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin expressing gratitude for Malaysia's continued focus on the case.
Defence analyst Dr Lam Choong Wah from Universiti Malaya has suggested Malaysia could strengthen its cooperation with China, which possesses advanced underwater search capabilities.
Noting Chinese research vessels like the Xiang Yang Hong have regularly surveyed the Indian Ocean since 2016, the analyst told Strait Times: "As most of the passengers on MH370 were Chinese, Malaysia should not hesitate to collaborate with Beijing."
Most of the recovered debris has been used in drift pattern analysis to help narrow down the aircraft's possible location.
