The underwater search for the elusive missing MH370 flight could be set to continue after new information was revealed.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is at the centre of the most famous aviation mystery in modern history, with it being more than 10 years since the aircraft vanished.
On 8 March 2014, the aircraft carrying 239 people set off from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur towards Beijing, China, but in the middle of its journey, it bizarrely changed its path and flew completely off course before disappearing from radars.
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Conspiracy theories have run amuck since then, while bits of evidence have been discovered along the way, though an explanation of its disappearance is still missing.
Teams from all over the world have been investigating the case in the years since, and it looks like the search is continuing.
Malaysia's Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, spoke in parliament on Tuesday (5 November), revealing that the government is locked in talks with a US-based marine exploration company about restarting the search for the missing aircraft.
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They're called Ocean Infinity and they have proposed a search in the Southern Indian Ocean, off the cost of Western Australia, a 15,000 sq. km area.
Loke said: “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 believed that the costs and terms involved are part of a draft agreement being negotiated between the company and the Malaysian government.
Loke added: “Should it be finalised, cabinet approval will be required, and I will make a public announcement.”
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The search carried out by Ocean Infinity is said to be a 'no find, no fee' agreement.
If the company are able to locate the plane, which has been missing for almost 11 years, they will earn $70 million (£54.28 million).
So far, search efforts have been costly, as the initial underwater search in 2014, carried out by Malaysia, China and Australia, spanned a huge 120,000 sq. kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean.
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Lasting almost three years and costing an estimated $150 million (£116m), it was called off in January 2017.
Ocean Infinity have searched for the aeroplane in the past, making their first attempt in 2018 on a 'no find, no fee' deal as well.
Their search lasted three months, covering 112,000 sq. kilometres north of the first target area.
It has been suggested by defence analyst Dr Lam Choong Wah from Universiti Malaya that Malaysia work with China in the latest search.
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He suggested to local publication Strait Times: "As most of the passengers on MH370 were Chinese, Malaysia should not hesitate to collaborate with Beijing."
Topics: MH370, World News
Joshua Nair