A new deep-sea search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 began on Wednesday in the Indian Ocean, more than a decade after the passenger jet vanished with 239 people on board. The search vessel Armada 86 05, equipped with advanced autonomous underwater vehicles, has arrived at a designated search area to tackle one of aviation's greatest mysteries.
Malaysia's Transport Ministry announced the resumption of operations. Ocean Infinity, a Texas-based marine robotics company, is leading the effort under a renewed "no-find, no-fee" agreement with the Malaysian government. The firm stands to earn $70 million only if significant wreckage is found.
The search will cover 15,000 square kilometers of seabed in the southern Indian Ocean over 55 days. Ocean Infinity's autonomous underwater vehicles can dive to nearly 19,700 feet and operate for days without surfacing. The drones use side sonar, ultrasound imaging and magnetometers to produce detailed 3D maps of the seabed and detect metallic objects.
What happened to MH370
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared from radar on March 8, 2014, just 39 minutes after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. The pilot's last radio communication was brief: "Good night, Malaysian Three Seven Zero."
Minutes later, the transponder stopped broadcasting. Military radar showed the Boeing 777 turned back over the Andaman Sea. Satellite data indicated the aircraft continued flying for hours, possibly until fuel exhaustion, heading south towards the remote southern Indian Ocean where investigators believe it crashed. No explanation for this course change has ever been provided.
Previous search efforts
A multinational search effort covered roughly 120,000 square kilometers of seabed off western Australia at average depths of around four kilometers. The operation was suspended in January 2017 without locating the main wreckage.
Ocean Infinity first searched for MH370 in 2018 under a similar contract but found no trace. The company briefly resumed operations in February this year but suspended the effort in April due to poor weather. Only fragments believed to be from the plane have washed up along the East Africa coast and Indian Ocean islands, with a wing piece discovered on Réunion Island in July 2015.
Malaysian investigators cleared passengers and crew in a 2018 report but did not rule out "unlawful interference," suggesting communications were deliberately severed and the plane diverted.
New technology brings hope
Ocean Infinity says it has upgraded its technology and refined its analysis since its last attempt. The company identified the current search area using updated satellite analysis, refined drift modeling and expert input.
Charitha Pattiaratchi, a professor of oceanography at the University of Western Australia, told The Times: "With the new technology and the way that they are looking at it, there's a very good chance they will find it." The advanced equipment can now explore rugged undersea mountains and canyons previously difficult to access.
Relatives of MH370 passengers from China, Australia and Europe have long fought to keep the search alive, asserting that closure matters not only for the deceased but for global aviation safety. Ocean Infinity declined further comment on the operation, citing its "important and sensitive nature."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).