More than a decade after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the Malaysian government has approved a new search operation by a Texas-based company.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that a “no-find, no fee” agreement has been reached with Ocean Infinity. The company will conduct a seabed search at a new 5,800-square-mile site and will only be paid $70 million if wreckage is found.

“The government remains dedicated to the search operation and to providing closure for the families of the passengers of MH370,” Loke stated.

The 2014 disappearance of MH370 is one of aviation’s biggest mysteries. The Boeing 777, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, vanished shortly after leaving Malaysian airspace on March 8, 2014. All 239 passengers disappeared without a trace. Satellite data indicated the plane veered from its intended path, heading south into the remote southern Indian Ocean, where it is presumed to have crashed.

Ocean Infinity declined to comment when contacted on Thursday morning. Last year, the company stated its hope to “narrow the search area down to one in which success becomes potentially achievable.”

Previous expensive multinational search efforts yielded no clues to MH370’s location, although some debris washed ashore on the east African coast and Indian Ocean islands. A private search by Ocean Infinity in 2018 was also unsuccessful, though CEO Oliver Punkett reportedly mentioned earlier this year that the company’s technology has since improved.

Loke indicated that his ministry will soon finalize a contract with Ocean Infinity but did not specify the terms. The company has reportedly deployed a search vessel to the area, suggesting that January-April is the optimal period for the search.

Voice370, a support group for relatives of MH370 passengers, previously stated, “While the next of kin of the passengers and crew on board attempt to rebuild our lives, the threat to global aviation safety remains a live issue.”

“As long as we remain in the dark about what happened to MH370, we will never be able to prevent a similar tragedy. Accordingly, we believe that it is a matter of paramount importance that the search for MH370 is carried out to its completion.”

’ Greg Palkot, Peter Aitken and  

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