Relatives of MH370 passengers have urged Malaysia to extend Ocean Infinity’s contract so the search can continue. Two recent search phases surveyed roughly 7,571 sq km over 28 days but found no wreckage, with operations hampered by bad weather. Voice370 asked the government to permit a contract extension beyond June and to allow other firms to operate under similar "no find, no fee" terms. Malaysian investigators’ 2018 report drew no firm conclusion about the plane’s fate.
Families Urge Malaysia To Extend Ocean Infinity Contract To Resume MH370 Search
FILE PHOTO: Families of passengers from both China and Malaysia, who were aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, are seen during a remembrance event commemorating the 10th anniversary of its disappearance, in Subang Jaya, Malaysia March 3, 2024. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain/File Photo
Relatives of those aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have pressed the Malaysian government to allow a contract extension for deep-sea search firm Ocean Infinity so the hunt for the missing jet can continue nearly 12 years after it vanished.
Latest Search Effort
The Boeing 777, which disappeared on March 8, 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, carried 227 passengers and 12 crew. Two recent search phases led by Ocean Infinity ran for a combined 28 days and surveyed about 7,571 square kilometres (2,923 square miles) of seabed in the southern Indian Ocean but produced no conclusive findings.
Malaysia’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said operations were repeatedly disrupted by adverse weather and sea conditions. The second phase concluded on January 23, and the bureau said there have been no confirmed discoveries to date.
Families' Appeal
Voice370, a group representing relatives of those on board, urged Kuala Lumpur to approve any request from Ocean Infinity to extend its agreement beyond the current contract end date in June. The families also asked that other interested exploration firms be allowed to operate under the same "no find, no fee" terms.
"A simple addendum extending the contract period without altering the core terms of the agreement would allow the search to continue without delay," Voice370 said.
Under the deal signed last year, Ocean Infinity would be paid $70 million only if the aircraft’s wreckage is located.
Background And Context
Ocean Infinity previously led search efforts for MH370 but did not locate definitive wreckage in prior operations. Malaysian investigators, in a 2018 report, reached no firm conclusion about what happened on board, while noting they could not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately diverted from its planned route.
The government said it remains committed to keeping families informed and will provide updates as appropriate while assessing any requests to extend or broaden search arrangements.
Help us improve.
