Cabinet ministers agreed at their recent meeting to allow Texas-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity to proceed with the underwater search mission at a new 15,000-square-kilometer location in the ocean next year, as announced by Loke.
Loke stated, “Ocean Infinity has proposed a new search area based on the most up-to-date information and data analyses completed by experts and researchers. Their plan is deemed credible.”
The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft disappeared from radar screens shortly after departing on March 8, 2014, with 239 passengers on board, the majority of whom were Chinese nationals travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Satellite data showed the plane deviated from its flight path to head over the southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed.
An expensive multinational search failed to turn up any clues, although debris washed ashore on the east African coast and Indian Ocean islands. A private search in 2018 by Ocean Infinity also found nothing.
Under the new deal, Ocean Infinity will get $US70 million ($112 million) only if significant wreckage is discovered, Loke said.
He said his ministry will finalise negotiations with Ocean Infinity in early 2025. The firm has indicated that January-April is the best period for the search, he said.
Debris found on Reunion Island could be from MH370
“This decision reflects the government’s commitment to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of MH370 passengers,” he added.
Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Punkett earlier this year reportedly said the the company had improved its technology since 2018.
He has said the firm is working with many experts to analyse data and narrow the search area to the most likely site.
