KUALA LUMPUR – In a significant development for the families of the 239 people who vanished aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the Malaysian government has agreed in principle to resume the search for the missing aircraft, ten years after it disappeared. The decision marks a new chapter in one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history, offering a glimmer of hope for closure.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed on Friday that the Cabinet had approved a deal in principle with US-based marine exploration firm Ocean Infinity to continue the search. The agreement, worth $70 million (£56 million), is set to cover a 15,000 square kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean, a vast stretch of water where the aircraft is believed to have crashed.

The new search will operate under a “no find, no fee” arrangement, meaning Ocean Infinity will only be paid if the wreckage is located. This arrangement is not new, as the company previously searched for MH370 in 2018 under similar terms. However, that search, which lasted three months, ended without success. The 2017 multinational effort, which cost $150 million (€143 million) and spanned two years, failed to uncover the plane’s final resting place.

What makes this search different is the emergence of new, “credible” data, as confirmed by the Malaysian government. This data is expected to guide the search in an area not previously scoured, raising hopes that this new search effort could yield results. Minister Loke stressed that negotiations over the deal’s final terms with Ocean Infinity would be concluded early next year.

The disappearance of Flight MH370 has left a lasting impact on the families of those on board, many of whom have spent the last decade searching for answers. The aircraft, a Boeing 777, vanished from radar screens on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The sudden disappearance sparked an unprecedented international search and has since become a symbol of aviation’s darkest mysteries.

This new search comes after years of uncertainty and frustration for the families and the aviation community. Despite various leads, no definitive evidence has surfaced about the plane’s exact location. The search was originally called off in 2018, but the governments of Malaysia, Australia, and China stated that the operation would resume should new, credible evidence arise—a condition now met with the latest data.

While the renewed search offers a beacon of hope for those seeking closure, it also underscores the complexity of the task at hand. The southern Indian Ocean is one of the most challenging and remote areas to search, and the wreckage of MH370, if found, will mark a significant breakthrough in an aviation mystery that has captivated the world for a decade.

As the search gears up once again, all eyes will be on Ocean Infinity’s efforts, with the hope that this new mission will finally bring answers to the families who have been waiting for far too long. (zai)