More than a decade after its baffling disappearance, the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is set to resume on 30 December, Malaysia’s transport ministry has confirmed.
The Beijing-bound flight vanished in 2014, becoming one of the world’s most enduring aviation mysteries.
The Boeing 777, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Despite numerous extensive search operations conducted over the years, all previous efforts to locate the aircraft have proven unsuccessful.
The latest attempt to find the missing plane, which saw a search in the southern Indian Ocean suspended in April due to adverse weather, will now recommence.
Exploration firm Ocean Infinity has confirmed it will resume seabed operations for 55 intermittent days.
The transport ministry stated: “The search will be carried out in targeted area assessed to have the highest probability of locating the aircraft,” though no precise location for this new search area has been disclosed.
Under the terms agreed between the Malaysian government and Ocean Infinity, the firm stands to receive $70 million if substantial wreckage is discovered within a 15,000 sq km (5,790 sq miles) area of the southern Indian Ocean.
Malaysian investigators previously did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft was deliberately diverted from its course. Debris, some confirmed and some believed to be from MH370, has been found washed ashore along the African coast and on various Indian Ocean islands.
A 495-page report published in 2018 suggested the Boeing 777’s controls were likely intentionally manipulated to alter its trajectory.
However, investigators were unable to identify who was responsible and refrained from offering a definitive conclusion on the incident, stressing that finding the wreckage was crucial.
Checks on the captain and co-pilot revealed no suspicious elements in their background, financial affairs, training, or mental health.
The flight carried over 150 Chinese nationals, 50 Malaysians, and citizens from countries including France, Australia, Indonesia, India, the United States, Ukraine, and Canada.
Families of those on board have sought compensation from entities such as Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, and the Allianz insurance group.
