Malaysia Renews Search for MH370: A Final Push for Answers

By Danial Martinus  •  20 Mar 2025 in News

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After 11 years of uncertainty, Malaysia is officially reviving the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the missing plane that disappeared without a trace more than a decade ago.

According to Transport Minister Anthony Loke, the cabinet has approved the final terms for a new seabed search in the southern Indian Ocean, partnering once again with UK-based exploration firm Ocean Infinity.

The search that never really stopped

This renewed search, expected to begin soon, will cover a 15,000km² area.

Like the previous effort, it will operate under a “no find, no fee” arrangement—meaning Ocean Infinity will only receive a US$70 million (~RM310 million) payout if they locate the wreckage. It’s a high-stakes mission, but one that could finally bring closure to the families of the 239 passengers who vanished along with the aircraft.

Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur in the early hours of 8 March 2014, bound for Beijing. Less than an hour into the journey, it lost contact with air traffic control. Radar data later showed that the aircraft veered sharply off course, heading deep into the remote southern Indian Ocean.

What happened next remains one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.

Multiple searches have been carried out over the years, with authorities spending over $150 million (~RM664 million) trying to pinpoint the wreckage.

A joint effort by Malaysia, Australia, and China ended in 2017 with no success, and a 2018 search by Ocean Infinity—under similar “no find, no fee” terms—also came up empty after three months of scanning the ocean floor.

Now, 11 years later, Malaysia is making one last major push. On the anniversary of the plane’s disappearance, authorities also announced that the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will be providing technical assistance in the renewed effort.

A final shot at the truth

Without the wreckage, families of the victims—who came from more than a dozen countries, including China, Malaysia, Australia, and the US—are left with little closure.

Many have spent years pushing for the search to continue, clinging to the hope that one day, they will finally know what happened to their loved ones.

Malaysia’s decision to green-light this renewed search marks an important step in one of aviation’s longest-running mysteries. Ocean Infinity’s technological prowess has advanced significantly since their last attempt, raising hopes that this time, things might be different.

“The government is committed to continuing the search and providing closure for the families of MH370 passengers,” Loke said. For those who have been waiting more than a decade for answers, this might be their last real chance to get them.

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