The Malaysian government announced it is extending its agreement with Ocean Infinity, a deep-sea exploration company, to continue the search for the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 wreckage for another year until mid-2027. The search will cover more than 7,400 square kilometers of remaining area, reaffirming the original condition that "if nothing is found, no payment will be made."
Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke officially stated that the government has decided to approve a 12-month extension of the search agreement for Boeing 777 Flight MH370 with Ocean Infinity. This extension will be effective from 1 July until 30 June 2027.
This extension maintains all original terms and agreements, including the key principle of "No Find, No Fee," meaning Ocean Infinity will only receive the $70 million USD (approximately 2.4 billion baht) payment if it successfully locates and recovers major wreckage parts of the aircraft.
"This decision demonstrates the Malaysian government's ongoing and unwavering commitment to finding answers and closure for the families of all passengers and crew on Flight MH370," said Anthony Loke in a statement. He added that the approval will enable the company to thoroughly search the remaining area of about 7,428.54 square kilometers.
Loke further explained that the extension also considers Ocean Infinity's new commercial obligations, which require temporarily relocating key vessels and survey equipment to other locations. This relocation and rescheduling of assets will occur between November 2026 and April 2027, during the calmer sea season, to ensure safety and optimal search efficiency. This follows the latest search operation, divided into two phases starting in March 2025, which so far has yielded no results.
This move by the Malaysian government follows a joint open letter sent by relatives of Chinese passengers to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on 8 March, marking the 12th anniversary of the disappearance. The letter expressed gratitude for the efforts but also criticized the Malaysian authorities for lacking communication, noting that since 15 January this year, families have not received any summary reports on the search progress.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members—totaling 239 people—vanished mysteriously from radar on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Approximately two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese nationals, with the remainder including Malaysians, Indonesians, Australians, Indians, Americans, Dutch, and French.
Despite extensive funding and the largest underwater search in aviation history, led by Australian authorities for three years until January 2017 and Ocean Infinity's operations in 2018 and 2025, no wreckage has been found to date. Only a few small debris pieces believed to be from MH370 have washed ashore along African coasts and Indian Ocean islands.
.Reuters/ AFP /New Straits Times