Families Face Continued Uncertainty as Search for Flight Mh370 Ends Unresolved
Relatives of the 227 passengers and 12 crew now face another setback in finding answers after a renewed hunt produced no wreckage, Thursday at 10: 00 a. m. ET, the Air Accident Investigation Bureau said 28 days of searching in the Indian Ocean yielded no new findings in the search for flight mh370.
Voice370 and relatives left searching for closure after AAIB update
Families represented by Voice370 have pressed Malaysian officials for more time to continue the hunt; the Boeing 777 that vanished remains one of the world’s most enduring aviation mysteries, and those relatives are urging a contract extension to avoid further delays in the effort to find the aircraft.
Ocean Infinity operated under a “no find, no fee” deal worth $70 million if wreckage found
Ocean Infinity carried out the most recent deep-sea operation under a “no find, no fee” agreement that would pay the firm $70 million only if the wreckage was located, a commercial arrangement the government approved to restart the search effort.
Operations ran in two phases, were disrupted by weather and ended on 23 January
The search took place in two phases, with activity periodically suspended by poor weather and difficult sea conditions, and the most recent campaign concluded on 23 January after teams completed their planned work in the targeted area.
The Air Accident Investigation Bureau said the search covered more than 2, 900 square miles (7, 500 sq km) of seabed over the 28 days, but that effort did not produce any new clues to the aircraft’s location.
Malaysian investigators previously issued a report in 2018 that drew no conclusive explanation for the disappearance but did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft was deliberately taken off course; that unresolved finding continues to drive families’ calls for further searching of the Indian Ocean.
Voice370 has asked the government to extend the Ocean Infinity contract with a simple addendum that would preserve the core terms of the agreement, and it has also suggested that other exploration firms be allowed to undertake searches on the same “no find, no fee” basis to broaden the effort without immediate extra cost to the state.
Malaysian officials have said they remain committed to keeping the families informed and will continue to provide updates as appropriate while the government considers next steps.
If the government grants an addendum to extend the current contract before it ends in June, Ocean Infinity or other firms could resume searching for the wreckage of flight mh370.
