Malaysia will restart the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on December 30, a move that reopens one of aviation’s most baffling disappearances.
The transport ministry confirmed the decision more than a decade after the aircraft vanished during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew.
The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8, 2014 and triggered the largest search operation in aviation history. The mission ended without a definitive explanation. Satellite tracking showed the plane diverting from its intended path and heading deep into the southern Indian Ocean.
Experts believe the aircraft went down in that region. Pieces of debris confirmed and believed to be from MH370 later washed up along African coastlines and Indian Ocean islands.
Malaysia’s last search in the area was halted in April after weeks of poor weather. Ocean Infinity, the exploration firm involved in previous missions, has confirmed a new 55 day seabed operation that will be conducted intermittently. The transport ministry said the search will take place in a zone assessed to have the highest likelihood of locating the aircraft.
The statement included a single key line. “The search will be carried out in targeted area assessed to have the highest probability of locating the aircraft.” No exact coordinates were released.
Investigators examined several scenarios in past reports. A 495 page investigation published in 2018 said the aircraft’s controls were likely manipulated to divert the flight but did not establish who may have been responsible.
The same report said a definitive conclusion could not be reached without locating the wreckage. Officials found no irregularities in the financial records, background, training or mental health of the captain and co pilot.
More than 150 passengers on the flight were Chinese citizens. Others included Malaysians, French nationals, Australians, Indonesians, Indians, Americans, Ukrainians and Canadians. Families have pursued compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, Rolls Royce and Allianz as the case dragged on without closure.
The renewed operation brings the investigation back into global focus as families continue to wait for a final answer to what happened to MH370.
