Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has confirmed a commitment to restarting the investigation for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 at the earliest time possible.
During yesterday’s commemoration event held in Kuala Lumpur, Loke assured the families of the 239 passengers and crew members who disappeared that the Malaysian government is dedicated to locating the aircraft.
On March 8, 2014, during its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, MH370 lost communication with air traffic control over the South China Sea. While it vanished from secondary radar screens that indicate an aircraft’s position and transponder data, the Malaysian military’s primary radar continued tracking it for an additional hour. The primary radar revealed that the plane made a steep turn to the west and headed back over the Malay Peninsula towards the Andaman Sea.
During its additional six-hour flight, MH370’s satellite data unit, which was disabled, repeatedly tried to connect to a telecommunications network managed by the British company Inmarsat. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, along with an international team of investigators, analyzed the duration of these signal transmissions from the plane to the satellite to determine the approximate path of the aircraft. Based on this analysis, it was concluded that the plane most probably flew until it exhausted its fuel in the southern Indian Ocean region.
Minister Loke vowed to diligently gather evidence and promptly secure a fresh agreement with Ocean Infinity, ensuring the swift resumption of the search.
In 2018, Ocean Infinity, a marine robotics company headquartered in Texas, USA, conducted an extensive search in the Indian Ocean for any signs of the missing aircraft. Despite six months of thorough exploration, no evidence was discovered, leading to the termination of the mission. However, Chief Executive of Ocean Infinity revealed last year that the firm had obtained new information indicating a possible location of the crash. Consequently, he sought approval from the Malaysian government to initiate a renewed search effort.
Minister Loke said that he had directed officials to convene with Ocean Infinity regarding a proposal called no find, no fee put forward by the company.
The minister expressed the expectation that, despite the ‘no find, no fee’ arrangement, should they enter into a contract with Ocean Infinity, they remain hopeful for the successful discovery of the plane.
Suspected wreckage from MH370 has been found on the shores of South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, and the French territory of Reunion in the years since the plane’s disappearance.
SOURCE: Minister: Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 to Restart BY: eTurboNews | eTN