MH370 Search Continued, Ocean Infinity Gets Paid 70 Million US Dollars If Malaysian Debris Arlines Found

JAKARTA - Malaysia has approved the terms and terms of agreement with exploration firm Ocean Infinity to continue its search for the debris of the lost Malaysian Airlines MH370 aircraft.

The MH370 flight with the Boeing 777, carried 227 passengers and 12 crew when it disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in 2014 in one of the world's biggest flight mysteries.

The decision will allow the start of a seabed search operation in a new location estimated to cover 15,000 square km (5,790 square miles) in the southern Indian Ocean.

"Based on the principle of 'not found, there is no cost'," Malaysian Transport Minister Loke SiewBook said.

Ocean Infinity will receive $70 million if the debris is found.

"The government is committed to continuing search operations and providing certainty for the families of MH370 passengers," said Loke. The Malaysian government in December said it agreed in principle to Ocean Infinity's proposal to continue the search for MH370.

The company has conducted its final search for the aircraft which ended in 2018 but failed in two attempts.

The search was carried out after underwater searches by Malaysia, Australia, and China in an area of 120,000 square km (46,332 square miles) in the southern Indian Ocean, based on automatic connection data between Inmarsat satellites and aircraft.

The ship, which will search for the missing plane, was deployed to its search zone in the Indian Ocean late last month, according to ship tracking data, although the deal has not yet been signed with the government.

It's unclear how long the search contract with Ocean Infinity will last. Loke previously said it would cover an 18-month period.