THE government has reached an agreement with Ocean Infinity (UK) to resume the search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished in 2014.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the agreement was signed last week.
However, he said the search operation had been temporarily paused due to adverse weather conditions and is expected to resume later this year.
Loke said this yesterday, following the arrival of the first British Airways flight to Malaysia in five years at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
He addressed the announcement from the MH370 Passenger and Crew Family Association, which revealed that the search for the aircraft has been postponed until the Southern Hemisphere's summer season.
The association cited weather conditions and commitments from Ocean Infinity as the primary reasons for the delay.
Previously, the government had agreed to terms with Ocean Infinity under a "no find, no fee" arrangement. This means the Malaysian government would only pay Ocean Infinity USD 70 million if the wreckage of the aircraft is located.
The marine robotics company participated in the search for MH370 starting in January 2018, covering more than 112,000 square kilometres of the southern Indian Ocean floor before the operation was halted on 29 May of that year.
MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing, China, with 239 passengers and crew on board. – April 3, 2025