This week, the Malaysian government announced that it plans to resume the search for an airplane that went missing more than 10 years ago. That search is set to start at the end of the month.
“Ocean Infinity has confirmed with the Government of Malaysia that it will recommence seabed search operations for a total of 55 days, to be conducted intermittently,” for Flight MH370, said the government press release. “The search will be carried out in targeted area assessed to have the highest probability of locating the aircraft, in accordance with the service agreement entered between the Government of Malaysia and Ocean Infinity,” that was finalized this March.
Per the Ocean Infinity website, it is a company that uses advanced technology to provide marine data services and more. For example, the company said in July that it “successfully delivered real-time seabed data directly to the client’s headquarters,” during an offshore project for global energy leader PETRONAS.
Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, vanished over the Indian Ocean with 239 people aboard while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. While there have been extensive searches for the aircraft, it has never been found, though a wing flaperon from the aircraft was found along the coast of Reunion Island in the western Indian Ocean in July 2015, per research cited by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Since the disappearance, loved ones of those aboard have struggled to find closure. Conspiracy theories have also bloomed, and there has been some evidence that indicates the plane’s controls might have been deliberately manipulated.
Last May, Vincent Lyne, one of the people who has gone looking for the lost plane, joined Audacy’s “Something Offbeat” podcast to share his theories about what really happened. However, the whereabouts still remain a mystery today.
“The latest development underscores the Government of Malaysia’s commitment in providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy,” said the press release from this week.
According to the BBC, Ocean Infinity’s new search began in March but was postponed due to poor weather conditions. The outlet also reported that Ocean Infinity will receive $70 million for its work and that the company previously conducted a search for the plane in 2018.