At a Glance
- Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared 10 years ago, 239 aboard.
- New search operation launched by Malaysian government on Dec 30.
- Previous searches in southern Indian Ocean yielded only a few fragments.
- Why it matters: Families still hope for answers; search could finally locate wreckage.
Malaysia revives the search for the missing Flight 370 after a decade of mystery. The operation, led by Ocean Infinity under a “no-find, no-fee” contract, starts on Dec. 30.
Flight Disappearance and Theories
The Boeing 777 vanished 39 minutes after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on March 8, 2014. The last radio call was “Good night, Malaysian Three Seven Zero.” Transponder stopped, military radar showed a turn back over the Andaman Sea, while satellite data suggested the aircraft continued flying for hours before likely crashing in the remote southern Indian Ocean.
Investigators cite possible hijacking, cabin depressurization, or power failure, but no distress call, ransom demand, or severe weather evidence emerged.
Passengers and Search History
The flight carried 12 crew and 227 passengers, including five children. Most were Chinese, but passengers also hailed from the United States, Indonesia, France, Russia, and other countries. Notable groups included two young Iranians on stolen passports, a troupe of Chinese calligraphy artists, 20 employees of U.S. tech firm Freescale Semiconductor, a stunt double for Jet Li, and several families with young children.
Search efforts began in the South China Sea, expanded to the Andaman Sea, and then to the southern Indian Ocean. Australia, Malaysia, and China coordinated the largest underwater search ever, covering 120 000 sq km off western Australia with aircraft, vessels, sonar, and robotic submarines.
Signals thought to be from the black box turned out to be other sources; the first confirmed debris-a wing fragment (flaperon) found on Réunion Island in July 2015-was followed by more pieces along Africa’s east coast. The search was suspended in January 2017.
In 2018, U.S. marine robotics company Ocean Infinity resumed the hunt under a “no-find, no-fee” agreement, focusing on debris-drift studies; the effort ended without success.
The search faced enormous challenges: the Indian Ocean’s vast size, bad weather, and an average depth of 4 km make locating wreckage difficult.
| Event | Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Disappearance | Mar 8 2014 | Flight 370 lost 39 min after takeoff |
| Search suspended | Jan 2017 | After covering 120 000 sq km |
| Ocean Infinity resumed | 2018 | “No-find, no-fee” search |
| New search starts | Dec 30 2023 | 15 000 sq km targeted area |
Resuming the Search
In March, the Malaysian government approved another “no-find, no-fee” contract with Ocean Infinity to search a new 15 000 sq km site. Ocean Infinity will be paid $70 million only if wreckage is discovered.
The search paused in April due to weather, but the government announced on Wednesday that Ocean Infinity will resume intermittently from Dec 30 for 55 days in areas deemed most likely to contain the missing aircraft.
The company claims it will use new technology and expert analysis to narrow the search area.
Key Takeaways
- Malaysia’s renewed search could finally locate Flight 370’s wreckage after a decade of mystery.
- Ocean Infinity’s “no-find, no-fee” model means no payout unless wreckage is found.
- The search focuses on a 15 000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean, with 55 days of intermittent operations starting Dec 30.
The revived effort brings renewed hope for families and underscores the enduring challenge of locating a missing aircraft in the world’s largest ocean.
