The latest MH370 news from Free Malaysia Today said that the Malaysian government is negotiating with Ocean Infinity about the company's proposal to open a search for Malaysia Airlines' missing MH370 flight 10 years ago.
Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed on November 5 that Kuala Lumpur is negotiating with Ocean Infinity on the company's proposal in June 2024 regarding an underwater search for MH370 in an area of 15,000 square kilometres off the coast of Western Australia.
Based on the latest information and analysis from experts and researchers, Ocean Infinitys search proposal is reliable and could be considered by the Malaysian government, Loke told the lower house after being asked to update on the governments efforts to locate MH370.
He added that Ocean Infinity is seeking a $70 million fee - equivalent to the proposed fee in 2018 - if the wreckage is found. The new search for MH370 is expected to follow a "no find, no fee" principle, meaning the Malaysian government will not have to pay if the missing plane is not found.
The Malaysian Transport Ministry will release further details after the negotiations are concluded and the cabinet approves.
Sources told Straits Times that the new search area for MH370 will expand to the "left and right" of the area Ocean Infinity searched in 2018. In addition, November to March is the best time to start searching, as the summer seas in the Southern Hemisphere are calmer than in the winter with severe storms. The longer we delay, the shorter the search time will be, the source said.
The disappearance of MH370 remains one of the world's biggest aviation mysteries. The plane disappeared on March 8, 2014 while carrying 239 people en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Malaysia, China and Australia ended the search for MH370 in January 2017 after no significant findings of the Boeing 777's whereabouts. The next search for MH370 by US-based exploration company Ocean Infinity ended in June 2018 with similar results.
Commenting on the news that Malaysia is about to reopen the search for MH370, Mr. Richard Godfrey - who perfected the use of WSPR technology in the search for MH370 to lead to the new search location - shared with Airline Ratings: "Some media reports that Malaysia has agreed in principle to the new search for MH370."
He added: Malaysia believes that Ocean Infinitys proposal to restart the underwater search for MH370 is credible. However, negotiations with Ocean Infinity have not yet been finalized. The search will take place between November 2024 and March 2025. The search will take place on a no find, no fee basis as planned. In the event that MH370 is found, the fee to be paid is $70 million. We are looking forward to more details as soon as possible."
WSPR stands for Weak Signal Propagation Reporter or a weak signal radio transmission system used to detect and track aircraft. This is a new breakthrough technology that many technology experts, including American billionaire Elon Musk, believe can help find the wreckage of MH370, solving the 10-year-old arson of aviation in the world.
