The Malaysian Government has ordered that the search for a Malaysian Airlines aircraft that went missing in 2014 be extended for one more year.
The search effort for the Boeing 777 aircraft that flew as flight MH370, now extended to June 30, 2027, is being led by ocean exploration specialist Ocean Infinity in an area spanning more than 15,000 square kilometres in the southern half of the Indian Ocean.
Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that the government's “no find, no fee” agreement with Ocean Infinity, whereby the company will only be paid a contract amount of US$70 million if it located and documented the aircraft's wreckage, will remain in effect.
Loke added that the extension would allow Ocean Infinity to thoroughly map the remaining 7,429 square kilometres of the 15,000-square-kilometre designated search area.
MH370 had deviated from its route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, and was lost somewhere over the Indian Ocean with 239 people on board.
An earlier attempt by Ocean Infinity to search for MH370 in 2018 yielded no sign of the aircraft.
A group consisting of the families of those on board the aircraft had earlier urged the Malaysian Government to order that the search effort be extended.
In March this year, the group said that the deteriorating sea conditions and the southern hemisphere winter would make it unlikely that Ocean Infinity will be able to resume the search prior to the original contract expiration of June 30, 2026.
