Malaysia to relaunch “no-find, no-fee” hunt for MH370 as search enters new decade

Malaysia will restart the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at the end of December, reviving a years-long quest to resolve one of aviation’s most haunting mysteries.

MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 239 people, disappeared on March 8, 2014, shortly after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. Despite a massive Australia-led search that mapped 120,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean and the recovery of scattered debris from Madagascar to Mozambique, the main wreckage has never been found.

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that the renewed mission will focus on “targeted areas assessed to have the highest probability of locating the aircraft”, adding that the effort reflects the government’s commitment “to providing closure to the families affected by the tragedy”.

Ocean Infinity, the UK- and US-based deep-sea exploration firm that previously searched for the jet in 2018, will return to sea on December 30 under a “no-find, no-fee” agreement. The company will receive up to $70m only if it uncovers significant wreckage, according to Malaysian media and the Associated Press.

Two-thirds of those on board MH370 were Chinese nationals; others came from Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and beyond. A 495-page investigative report concluded that the plane diverted sharply off course, flew for hours into the remote southern Indian Ocean, and likely crashed after running out of fuel — but investigators could not determine why.

They did not rule out foul play, saying someone other than the pilots might have redirected the jet. Satellite “handshakes” remain the only clues tracing the plane’s final path.

Ocean Infinity’s last mission ended in April after weeks of poor weather prevented effective scanning. This time, the firm will deploy updated underwater drones across a new 15,000sq km search area.

Families of the missing, who have campaigned relentlessly for the search to continue, welcomed Malaysia’s decision and continue to seek accountability from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and major insurers including Allianz.