Malaysia has agreed to resume its search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 more than 10 years after it disappeared.
The country’s transport minister announced the search on December 20. The aircraft disappeared on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. It had 227 passengers and 12 crewmembers on board. What happened remains a mystery.
- READ MORE: MH 370: The One That Disappeared
Transport minister Anthony Loke said the country was currently negotiating the terms and conditions of the renewed search in the Indian Ocean led by Ocean Infinity, which directed the last search in 2018.
The search is expected to begin as soon as the contract is signed in early 2025. Loke said at a news conference that the best time to search the area is January through April.
Crews will search about 15,000 square kilometers, equal to more than 5,700 square miles, in the southern Indian Ocean.
The Malaysian government will not be responsible for paying Texas-headquartered Ocean Infinity unless the ocean exploration company finds the aircraft’s wreckage. The firm will receive $70 million if crews locate substantive wreckage.
A Vanished Aircraft
The Boeing 777 vanished without a trace a decade ago, puzzling investigators and devastating loved ones of passengers. No bodies or wreckage have ever been found, although debris from the aircraft has washed ashore.
The aircraft disappeared from radar just 39 minutes after leaving Kuala Lumpur. The last radio message the pilot shared was, “Good night, Malaysian three-seven-zero.”
The pilot did not check in with air traffic controllers when crossing into Vietnam’s airspace. The transponder also shut down.
Military radar observed the aircraft turn around and travel over the Andaman Sea before it vanished. It flew for hours, potentially running out of fuel. Experts believe the flight crashed into a remote part of the Indian Ocean.
The search to find Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 has been the most expensive and extensive underwater search ever, according to The Associated Press.
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.
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