A fresh quest for the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 plane has commenced over a decade after its enigmatic disappearance. The Boeing 777 vanished on March 8, 2014, during its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 249 passengers on board, predominantly Chinese nationals, along with individuals from Malaysia, Canada, France, and other countries.
The mystery surrounding the disappearance remains largely unsolved, with indications suggesting the plane likely crashed in the southern Indian Ocean based on satellite data analysis. Despite a few small fragments washing up on the east African coast and Indian Ocean islands, previous extensive search efforts yielded no significant breakthroughs, leaving unanswered questions about the cause of the plane’s descent.
However, a fresh search operation has been initiated, reviving hopes of unraveling the long-standing enigma. The latest search initiative, spearheaded by Ocean Infinity, under a “no find, no fee” agreement with the Malaysian government, aims to locate substantial wreckage to potentially earn $70 million.
The search organization has enhanced its technology following a previous unsuccessful search in 2018. The current search, focusing on a targeted area in the southern Indian Ocean spanning 15,000 square kilometers, is led by a team of experts analyzing data to pinpoint the most likely site for the aircraft’s location.
The renewed deep-sea search, set to last for 55 days starting intermittently, will deploy autonomous underwater vehicles to map the seabed up to 6,000 meters deep. The last known communication from the flight was a sign-off from Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah before it deviated from its route and contact was lost.
Despite multiple search attempts since the disappearance, including a costly two-year underwater search that ended in 2017, only three confirmed wing fragments of MH370 among around 30 suspected aircraft debris pieces have been found. A report in 2018 suggested deliberate manipulation of the plane’s controls but did not attribute responsibility.
Plausible theories surrounding the incident vary from hijacking to power failure, with lingering conspiracy theories further complicating the narrative due to the absence of distress signals, ransom demands, adverse weather conditions, or technical malfunctions.