Malaysia may renew the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the country’s transport minister said Sunday, as the 10th anniversary of its disappearance nears.
Flight MH370 became one of the world’s most puzzling aviation mysteries when it vanished with 239 aboard en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Despite the launch of the largest aviation search in history, virtually nothing of the aircraft has since been found.
But days ahead of the 10th anniversary, Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke vowed to “do everything possible to solve this mystery once and for all.”
“Meaningful changes have been made to prevent a repeat of this tragedy, but I am also clearly aware that the task remains incomplete,” Loke said at an event to mark the disappearance of the Boeing 777.
The US-based seabed exploration firm Ocean Infinity had made a “credible” new search proposal, Loke said, without providing details. The company has previously made two fruitless attempts at finding the plane.
“The Ministry of Transport are ready to invite Ocean Infinity to Malaysia to discuss the proposal of a no-find, no-fee proposal. We are waiting for Ocean Infinity to provide the suitable dates and I will meet them any time that they are ready to come to Malaysia,” Loke said.
He said he would do “everything possible” to get Cabinet approval for a new contract with Ocean Infinity.
“I am glad that there is some progress in some of the new research and new technologies, which have been put into place and we really hope that the search can find the plane,” Loke said.
The mystery surrounding MH370 has gripped the world since its disappearance nearly a decade ago. While the plane has not been found, clues have been scattered across nearby seas.
Debris confirmed or believed to be from the aircraft has washed up along the African coast and on islands in the Indian Ocean, including a wing flag in Tanzania, a wing fragment in Mauritius and a flaperon in Reunion Island.
Loke said the tragedy had been a “wake-up call to the aviation sector at home and abroad.”
“As we approach the 10 years remembrance of this heart-wrenching tragedy, it is a painful reminder of the decade-long journey of grief and resilience that loved ones of the victims have endured,” he said.
Ocean Infinity last attempted to find the missing plane in 2018, with Malaysia offering up to $70 million if the firm had found it.