Malaysia says search for long-missing flight MH370 to resume

AFP/APP

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia will resume the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at the end of December, the transport ministry announced on Wednesday—more than a decade after the aircraft vanished in one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.

The Boeing 777, carrying 239 passengers and crew, disappeared from radar on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Two-thirds of those onboard were Chinese nationals, with others from Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, India, the United States, the Netherlands, and France.

Despite what became the largest and most expensive search in aviation history, the aircraft has never been found.

In a statement, Kuala Lumpur said it “wishes to update that the deep-sea search for the missing wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will be resuming on 30 December 2025”.

The mission will be led by maritime exploration firm Ocean Infinity, which will survey a “targeted area assessed to have the highest probability of locating the aircraft”.

A previous search in the southern Indian Ocean was suspended in April due to unfavorable seasonal conditions. Like earlier missions, the renewed operation will be conducted on a “no find, no fee” basis, with payment dependent on locating the aircraft.

Ocean Infinity—based in Britain and the United States—carried out an unsuccessful hunt in 2018 before agreeing to launch a fresh search this year. The initial Australia-led effort had covered 120,000 square kilometres (46,300 square miles), turning up only scattered debris suspected to be from MH370.

Malaysia’s transport ministry said the renewed effort underscores its commitment to “providing closure to the families affected by the tragedy”. Relatives had previously voiced hope that a new search might finally offer answers.

When contacted by AFP, families of victims were not immediately available for comment.

Aviation mystery

MH370’s disappearance has generated endless speculation—from credible theories to the wildly improbable—including suggestions that pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah deliberately diverted the aircraft.

A 2018 final investigation report highlighted air traffic control lapses and confirmed that the plane’s course had been manually altered. However, investigators acknowledged they could not determine who made the change and did not rule out that someone other than the pilots might have taken control.

Families of those on board have continued to demand accountability and transparency from Malaysian authorities. On the 11th anniversary of the disappearance in March, relatives of Chinese passengers gathered outside government offices and the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, shouting “Give us back our loved ones!” and holding signs asking, “When will the 11 years of waiting and torment end?”