Malaysia approves new search for missing flight MH370

The Malaysian government has made a significant decision to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which mysteriously vanished ten years ago. This flight was on its way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, China, when it lost contact with air traffic control. There were 239 people on board, and the families of these individuals have been deeply affected by the tragedy. Over the years, efforts to locate the wreckage of the Boeing 777 have faced numerous challenges, leaving many families still searching for answers. On Friday, Malaysia's transport minister, Anthony Loke, announced that the cabinet has approved a deal in principle with Ocean Infinity, a marine exploration company based in the United States. The deal is worth $70 million, but it operates under a 'no find, no fee' arrangement, meaning Ocean Infinity will only receive payment if they successfully locate the wreckage. In 2018, Ocean Infinity conducted a search under similar terms, but unfortunately, it ended without success after three months. Prior to that, a multinational search effort that cost $150 million lasted two years but also failed to find the aircraft. The governments of Malaysia, Australia, and China have stated that the search will only be resumed if credible new evidence emerges regarding the aircraft's location. While the Malaysian government has agreed in principle to Ocean Infinity's proposal, Minister Loke mentioned that negotiations regarding the specific terms of the deal are still ongoing and are expected to be finalized early next year. The new search will focus on a 15,000 square kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean, based on new data that the Malaysian government considers credible. Minister Loke expressed hope that this time the search would yield positive results, stating that finding the wreckage would provide closure for the families of those on board. The announcement of the new search has been met with mixed emotions by the relatives of the passengers. Jacquita Gonzales, the wife of MH370 inflight supervisor Patrick Gomes, expressed her happiness, saying, 'I am so happy for the news. [It] feels like the best Christmas present ever. ' Intan Maizura Othaman, whose husband was a member of the cabin crew, shared her feelings of hope, gratitude, and sorrow, highlighting the difficulty of living with uncertainty for nearly 11 years. Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the flight, emphasized the need for the Malaysian government to adopt a more open approach to the search, allowing more participants to contribute. Ocean Infinity's CEO, Oliver Plunkett, described the Malaysian government's decision as 'great news' and expressed eagerness to provide further updates in the new year once the details are finalized and the team is prepared to begin the search. Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur in the early hours of March 8, 2014, but lost communication with air traffic control less than an hour after takeoff. Investigators generally agree that the plane crashed somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean, but the reasons behind the crash remain unclear. Over the years, pieces of debris believed to be from the plane have washed up on shores of the Indian Ocean. Various conspiracy theories have emerged regarding the disappearance of the aircraft, ranging from speculation that the pilot intentionally brought down the plane to claims that it was shot down by a foreign military. A 2018 investigation suggested that the plane's controls were likely manipulated deliberately to take it off course, but it did not reach any conclusions about who might have been responsible. Investigators stated at that time that 'the answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found.