Fresh evidence may lead to the continuation of the underwater search for the elusive missing MH370 jet. The most renowned aviation mystery in contemporary history revolves around Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished over a decade ago. On March 8, 2014, the airplane carrying 239 passengers went from Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China, but in the middle of its voyage, it abruptly altered direction and disappeared from radars. Since then, people have circulated conspiracy theories and unearthed fragments of evidence, but the reason for its disappearance remains unknown.

Many international teams have been investigating the case in recent years, and the hunt appears to be ongoing. Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, told parliament on Tuesday (5 November) that the government is in contact with a US-based maritime exploration business about renewing the hunt for the missing aircraft. Ocean Infinity has suggested a search in the Southern Indian Ocean, off the coast of Western Australia, covering 15,000 square kilometers. Loke elaborated: “Based on the latest information and analysis from experts and researchers, Ocean Infinity’s search proposal is credible and can be considered by the Malaysian government as the flight’s official registrar.” It is thought The firm and the Malaysian government are reportedly discussing the pricing and stipulations as part of a draft deal. xplained:  “Should it be finalized? Cabinet approval will be required, and I will make a public announcement.” The claim is that Ocean Infinity’s hunt operates under a ‘no find, no fee’ arrangement. The corporation will receive $70 million (£54.28 million) if they can locate the jet, which has been missing for over 11 years.

So far, search efforts have been costly, with Malaysia, China, and Australia conducting a first undersea search in 2014 that covered a massive 120,000 square kilometers of the southern Indian Ocean. Before calling it off in January 2017, the search lasted nearly three years and cost an estimated $150 million (£116 million). Ocean Infinity has already searched for the jet, with its first effort coming in 2018 on a ‘no find, no money’ arrangement. Their search lasted three months and encompassed 112,000 square kilometers north of the original target region. Dr. Lam Choong Wah, a defense expert at Universiti Malaya, has urged that Malaysia collaborate with China on the new hunt. He told local outlet Strait Times, “Because the majority of the passengers on MH370 were Chinese, Malaysia should not hesitate to collaborate with Beijing.”