Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: 11 years gone, search resumes again – Will this be the breakthrough?

MH370: The case of ‘missing’ Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has rekindled hope eleven years after the tragic disappearance, as a fresh search operation has been launched with maritime exploration firm Ocean Infinity. Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke confirmed the development on Friday.

The Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 Boeing 777 carrying 239 people disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Despite the largest search in aviation history, the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has never been found. The official search ended in 2017.

Ocean Infinity's First Attempt to locate MH 370 in 2018

In December 2024, Loke had said the new search would be on the same “no find, no fee” principle as Ocean Infinity's previous search, with the government only paying out if it finds the aircraft.

The earlier contract was for 18 months and Malaysia would pay $70 million to Ocean Infinity if the MH370 was found. Ocean Infinity based in Britain and the United States, carried out an unsuccessful hunt in 2018.

Ocean Infinity's first efforts followed a massive Australia-led search for MH370 that lasted three years before it was suspended in January 2017.

The Australia-led search covered 120,000 square kilometres (46,300 square miles) in the Indian Ocean but found hardly any trace of the plane, with only some pieces of debris picked up.

In December 2024, Malaysia Transport Minister said a new 15,000 square kilometre (5,800 square mile) area of the southern Indian Ocean would be scoured by Ocean Infinity.

A final report into the tragedy released in 2018 pointed to failings by air traffic control and said the course of the MH370 plane was changed manually.

‘MH370: The Plane That Disappeared’ on Netflix

“MH370: The Plane That Disappeared” is a British docuseries released on Netflix. The docuseries explores the enduring mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished in March 2014 with 239 people on board.

The series brings together family members, scientists, and investigative journalists to examine the unresolved questions surrounding the flight's disappearance.

The documentary on MH370 presents three contradictory scenarios, leading some reviewers to suggest that it promotes conspiracy theories. While the series acknowledges the likely theory of a murder-suicide by the pilot, it delves into alternative explanations, including a hijacking and a US government intervention.