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A new search in the deep sea for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane MH370 was unsuccessful.
The Boeing 777 disappeared from radar shortly after leaving Kuala Lumpur International Airport en route to Beijing – 12 years ago today.
In a statement, Malaysia’s Air Accidents Investigation Bureau said a 28-day search, covering more than 2,900 square miles (7,500 square km), yielded no new findings.
A company called Ocean Infinity has been given permission to explore the Indian Ocean on a “no discovery, no fee” basis.
The agreement means they will only be paid $70 million (£52 million) if the plane’s wreckage is recovered.
Malaysian officials said they “remain committed to continuing to provide information to the family and will continue to provide updated information as necessary”.
Voice370 – a group representing the families of those on board the plane – has urged the government to extend its contract with Ocean Infinity.
The search, which was carried out in two stages, was periodically disrupted by bad weather and sea conditions. It ends on January 23rd.
However, activists fear the third phase will not start before June, when the current contract expires, as winter approaches in the southern hemisphere.
Voice370 said: “A simple addendum extending the term of the contract without changing the core terms of the agreement would allow the search to continue without delay.”
The group added that other exploration companies should be given the opportunity to conduct searches on this “no find, no fee” basis.
MH370 was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew when it disappeared, becoming one of the world’s most enduring aviation mysteries.
In 2018, a report by Malaysian investigators was inconclusive as to what happened, but did not rule out the possibility that the plane was deliberately driven off course.
