Search for MH370 to restart on ‘no find, no fee’ agreement, says Malaysia
Sign up now: Get insights on the biggest stories in Malaysia
Families of passengers aboard the missing flight MH370 seen during a remembrance event in Subang Jaya, Malaysia, on March 3, 2024.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has agreed to terms and conditions of an agreement with exploration firm Ocean Infinity to resume the search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, its transport minister said on March 19.
Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew when it vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing
The decision will enable commencement of seabed search operations in a new location estimated to cover 15,000 sq km in the southern Indian Ocean, based on a “no find, no fee” principle, transport minister Anthony Loke said.
Ocean Infinity will receive US$70 million (S$93 million) if the wreckage is successfully located, he said.
“The government is committed to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of the MH370 passengers,” Mr Loke said in a statement.
The government in December said it had agreed in principle with Ocean Infinity’s proposal
Those followed an underwater search by Malaysia, Australia and China in a 120,000 sq km area of the southern Indian Ocean, based on data of automatic connections between an Inmarsat satellite and the plane.
A ship that will look for the missing plane was deployed to its Indian Ocean search zone late in February, ship tracking data showed, even though a deal had yet to be signed with the government.
It was not immediately clear how long the search contract with Ocean Infinity would be. Mr Loke had previously said it would cover an 18-month period. REUTERS
