A fresh search for missing flight MH370 has started, using deep-sea drones to scour a targeted zone under a “no find, no fee” contract.
WASHINGTON: The search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has resumed nearly 12 years after it vanished with 239 people on board.
A new mission led by marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity began scouring a targeted area of the remote southern Indian Ocean on Tuesday.
The operation uses cutting-edge autonomous underwater vehicles capable of diving nearly 19,700 feet.
These drones employ high-resolution sonar and magnetometers to map the seabed in 3D and detect debris.
The Malaysian government authorised the fresh attempt under a “no find, no fee” contract.
Malaysia’s transport ministry stated the move underscores its commitment to providing closure for affected families.
Ocean Infinity will reportedly receive USD 70 million only if it locates the wreckage.
The new phase targets a refined search zone of about 5,800 square miles.
This area was pinpointed using updated satellite data, drift modelling and expert analysis.
The search is expected to last up to 55 days.
Ocean Infinity, which led an unsuccessful hunt in 2018, is deploying vehicles that can stay submerged for days.
The company also operates a control centre in Britain.
Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, shortly after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing.
Its transponder stopped communicating less than an hour into the flight.
Military radar later showed the Boeing 777 veering west and then south over the Indian Ocean.
A multinational search covering 46,000 square miles between 2014 and 2017 found nothing.
Only fragments believed to be from the aircraft have ever been recovered.
Fewer than 30 pieces of debris have washed ashore on African coastlines since 2015.
No bodies have been found.
Malaysia’s official 2018 investigation concluded the plane was likely deliberately diverted.
It stopped short of assigning responsibility for the incident.
Families of victims have campaigned for years to continue the search.
They argue closure is vital for both the bereaved and global aviation safety.
Governments in Beijing and Canberra have welcomed Malaysia’s decision to restart the hunt.
Chinese national Jiang Hui, who lost his mother on the flight, remains determined to find answers.
“Finding the plane, finding my loved one, and finding the truth — I believe this is something I must do in my life,” he told AFP.
