THE search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is back on in the last-ditch bid to crack aviation’s greatest mystery.
Malaysia has given the green light for a fresh hunt for the doomed jet – with a staggering £56 million payout on the table, but only if the wreckage is found.
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After years of stalled efforts, the Malaysian government has finally approved Ocean Infinity’s latest search, following months of negotiations.
Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook confirmed the decision, stating: “The government is committed to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of the MH370 passengers.”
The search will cover a vast 15,000 sq km (5,790 sq miles) area in the southern Indian Ocean.
More than a decade after the Boeing 777 vanished with 239 people on board, the deep-sea exploration company has dispatched its cutting-edge mothership, the Armada 7806, to a newly identified high-priority zone 1,200 miles off Perth, Australia.
Armed with state-of-the-art autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and high-resolution sonar, the vessel has begun systematically scanning the seabed in what experts say is likely the last realistic chance of solving aviation’s greatest mystery.
This is the third major search for MH370, following two large-scale missions that ended in failure — the first, a multinational effort covering 120,000 sq km of seabed, and the second, Ocean Infinity’s own 2018 expedition, which ended after three months without success.
This time, Ocean Infinity is operating under a “no find, no fee” contract—meaning the firm will receive £56m ($70m) only if it locates the wreckage.
Despite the firm deploying advanced technology, deep-sea explorer Craig Wallace warning that the hunt won’t be easy.
He said: “The Indian Ocean that they’re working in is among the worst in the world… wave heights of 20 metres have been recorded. It’s extreme conditions.”
Former Australian naval officer Peter Waring echoed concerns over the mission’s challenges: “There’s absolutely no shelter out there.
“If something goes wrong, it will turn catastrophic very, very quickly.”
Scanning the seabed
According to marine tracking data, the Armada 7806 has been moving systematically over the search area, which covers 15,000 sq km (5,790 sq miles).
MH370 expert Victor Iannello previously said on X: “Armada 7806 appears to be launching AUVs to first scan areas from previous MH370 searches that were either avoided or produced data deemed difficult to interpret due to challenging terrain.
“This includes the area we define as the High Priority Search Area.”
Ocean Infinity had not officially confirmed whether the drones were deployed. A spokesperson for the company said it had no updates at the time.
‘Last hope’
Experts warn this mission could be the final attempt to find the wreckage — unless new evidence emerges.
With winter approaching in the southern hemisphere, the company appears to have launched the search earlier than expected, rather than wait for full government formalities.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke remains optimistic.
“They have gathered all the data and they are convinced that the current search area is more credible,” he said in February.
If successful, the Malaysian government would then have to approve any recovery efforts — but the discovery would finally provide long-awaited answers after 11 years of speculation, heartbreak, and conspiracy theories.
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A mystery that won’t die
Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, carrying 239 passengers and crew.
Less than an hour after takeoff, it vanished from radar and deviated dramatically from its planned route.
Despite an international search costing £120 million, no sign of the Boeing 777 was ever found.
Theories have run wild ever since. Investigators believe the aircraft ended up in the southern Indian Ocean, but the reasons for its disappearance remain unknown.
Some experts suspect the pilot deliberately took it off course, while conspiracy theories range from a hijacking cover-up to military intervention.
An official 2018 report concluded that “the answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found.”
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