Malaysia has announced the resumption of the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 after it went missing 11 years ago. The aircraft was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members on March 8, 2014. The plane took off from the airport in Kuala Lumpur and was flying towards Beijing (China) when suddenly the aircraft disappeared from the radar.
Why is the search operation starting again?
According to a Hindustan Times report, the Malaysian Transport Ministry stated that it will be initiating the search operation of MH370 again on Wednesday. The search operation will begin on December 30. The transport ministry also notified the involvement of the maritime exploration firm Ocean Infinity in the operation. They will conduct this operation in targeted areas where there is a high probability of locating the aircraft. The last search operation was conducted in March 2025, with a condition of ‘no find, no fee’. The search was later suspended in April.
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MH370: The mystery from 2014-2025
The first search was started on March 9 2014, which is a day after the plan went missing. The Chief General of the Royal Malaysian Air Force had announced that they were looking at and analysing the military radar recording, and there might be a possibility that the aircraft had turned around and had travelled over the Andaman Sea. There were numerous sightings, but there was no evidence of debris until July 2015. Later, a flaperon from the aircraft’s right wing was found at the French Island of Rèunion, which expanded the search operation. A damaged suitcase, which had similar details to those of MH370, was found off the coast of Australia. A month later, a Chinese waterbottle was found. The search for MH370 turned into a multinational affair, which involved the countries of India, China, Japan, Vietnam, New Zealand, South Korea, the USA and the UK.
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The latest development shows the government of Malaysia's concerns and commitment to provide closure to the families affected by this tragedy. The last search was called off due to bad weather in April 2025. This search will also be carried out on the condition of ‘no find, no fee’ basis on the targeted area assessed to have the highest probability of finding the aircraft. The search operation will go on for 55 days, and Malaysia will pay $70 million if substantive wreckage is found during the search.
