Cabinet approves agreement with Ocean Infinity for MH370 search

Summary

• Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirms the cabinet has approved an agreement with Ocean Infinity on a renewed search for missing MH370.

• He says his ministry will represent Putrajaya in inking the agreement with the marine exploration company.

The cabinet has approved an agreement with Ocean Infinity to facilitate a new search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft MH370.

Following the cabinet’s agreement with the terms and conditions set by the UK-based marine exploration company, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said his ministry will represent Putrajaya in signing the agreement.

In a statement today, he said the agreement will see the initiation of deep-sea search operations to detect MH370 in a new location estimated to cover about 15,000sqkm in the southern Indian Ocean.

He also reiterated that the search will be based on a “no find, no fee” principle where the government will not be required to make any payments if the aircraft’s wreckage is not found.

“A fee of US$70 million (RM310 million) will be paid to Ocean Infinity if the wreckage of MH370 is successfully located.

“The government is committed to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of the MH370 passengers,” Loke added.

Ship already in search area

Earlier this month, the Transport Ministry said the United States National Transportation Safety Board and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have appointed accredited representatives to provide technical support to the mission.

On March 8, 2014, MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur for Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board.

However, the aircraft vanished from radars after just two hours of flying and remains missing.

Ocean Infinity previously conducted a search operation in the Southern Indian Ocean, covering 25,000sqkm from January to June 2018, but no wreckage was found.

The Ocean Infinity ship Armada 78 06 has already been in the vicinity of the potential MH370 crash site since around Feb 24, according to various ship-tracking websites, performing what appeared to be a search even in the absence of a contract.

It had also made a brief stop in Perth, Australia, on March 6 before returning to the search area.

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