MH370: Families Demand New Search, 12 Years On

Families of passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are urging the Malaysian government to extend its contract with deep-sea exploration firm Ocean Infinity to continue the search for the aircraft, which disappeared 12 years ago.

MH370 Search: Families Call for Contract Extension

The Boeing 777 was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members when it vanished on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, becoming one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries.

Multiple search operations have been conducted in the southern Indian Ocean since the disappearance, but all have been unsuccessful.

In March of last year, Malaysia agreed to allow Ocean Infinity to resume the hunt under a “no find, no fee” agreement, where the firm would be paid $70 million only if the wreckage was located.

Malaysia’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reported Sunday that operations have not yielded any findings after two search phases covering 28 days and approximately 7,571 square kilometers (2,923 square miles) of seabed.

The AAIB stated that operations were periodically disrupted by weather and sea conditions, with the second phase concluding on January 23. The government has pledged to keep families informed and provide updates as appropriate.

Voice370, a group representing families of those onboard, stated it is unlikely Ocean Infinity will be able to resume the search before its contract ends in June, citing the approaching winter months in the southern hemisphere and deteriorating sea conditions.

The group urged the government to grant any request from Ocean Infinity to extend the agreement and to extend the same terms to other interested exploration firms. They suggested a simple contract addendum would allow the search to continue without delay.

Ocean Infinity has previously conducted searches for the plane without locating substantial wreckage.

A 2018 report by Malaysian investigators did not reach a conclusion regarding the events aboard the flight, but did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft was deliberately taken off course.