Malaysia Extends MH370 Search Deal With Sea Exploration Firm Ocean Infinity By One Year

Malaysia has extended its agreement with deep-sea exploration firm Ocean Infinity by one year to continue the search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, nearly 13 years after the aircraft disappeared.

The extension will run from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced on Monday, reaffirming the government’s commitment to finding the missing aircraft and providing answers to the families of those on board.

“This decision is a manifestation of the government’s continuous and unwavering commitment to provide a closure for the next of kin of the passengers aboard flight MH370,” Loke said.

Search To Continue In Southern Indian Ocean

Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, vanished on March 8, 2014, while travelling

from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, becoming one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.

Despite multiple international search operations in the southern Indian Ocean, the aircraft has never been located.

Ocean Infinity had previously conducted an unsuccessful search until 2018 before signing a fresh agreement with Malaysia last year to resume operations over a 15,000-square-kilometre search area.

Remaining Search Area To Be Covered

According to the transport ministry, the extension will allow Ocean Infinity to complete the search of the remaining 7,428.54 square kilometres within the designated search zone.

Malaysia has agreed to pay the company up to $ 70 million under a “no find, no fee” arrangement, meaning payment will only be made if the aircraft’s wreckage is successfully located.

Temporary Pause Planned

Loke said the extension also takes into account Ocean Infinity’s commercial commitments, which will require its primary search vessels and equipment to be temporarily redeployed between November 2026 and April 2027.

The additional time is intended to ensure the remaining search area can be fully explored once operations resume.

The disappearance of MH370 remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in aviation history, with investigators still unable to determine exactly what happened to the aircraft or why it deviated from its planned route.