Malaysia will restart the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at the end of December, more than 10 years after the aircraft disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, the country's transport ministry announced on Wednesday.
The ministry said Ocean Infinity will begin seabed mapping on Dec. 30 using its robotic vessels to work in several phases over a 55-day period, The Guardian reported.
The search will focus on locations assessed as the most promising based on current analysis. Officials have not released the exact coordinates.
MH370 vanished from civilian radar on March 8, 2014, after deviating from its planned flight path.
The Boeing 777-200 carried 239 people, including 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers from more than a dozen countries.
Most passengers were Chinese nationals, with additional travelers from Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, India, France, the United States, Iran, Ukraine, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Taiwan.
Family members of those on board welcomed confirmation that the search would restart.
Danica Weeks, whose husband, Paul Weeks, was among the Australian citizens on the flight, said she was "incredibly grateful and relieved that the Malaysian government has committed to continuing the search."
"We've never stopped wishing for answers, and knowing the search will go on brings a sense of comfort," she added. "I truly hope this next phase gives us the clarity and peace we've been so desperately longing for, for us and our loved ones, since March 8, 2014."
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it supported "all practical efforts to locate Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370" and said it hoped that the operation would provide "closure to families who have endured so much since the tragedy."
Jiang Hui, whose mother was on board, said his family "welcomes the continued search by the Malaysian government and Ocean Infinity."
Large-scale multinational efforts have examined wide areas of the southern Indian Ocean since 2014.
Debris confirmed to be from MH370 first surfaced in 2015, when a wing part washed ashore on Réunion Island.
Additional fragments later appeared along the east coast of Africa, but no major wreckage field or human remains have been found.
Malaysia has previously said it would reopen investigations if compelling new evidence emerged.
The current search will be conducted under a no-find, no-fee arrangement with Ocean Infinity, under which the company would receive $70 million only if the wreckage is located.
Earlier this year, Malaysia's transport minister said an earlier phase of the operation had ended after roughly six weeks because it was not "the season" for offshore work, with plans to resume toward year's end, according to CBS News.
MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 a.m. local time on March 8, 2014, and was last seen on military radar at 2:14 a.m. heading west over the Strait of Malacca.
The airline reported loss of contact roughly 30 minutes later.
Families have continued to push for ongoing search efforts and for clearer accountability, filing lawsuits and conducting their own debris searches, including a 2016 trip to Madagascar.
In its statement Wednesday, the transport ministry said that the latest development "underscores the government of Malaysia's commitment in providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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