Three companies have offered to help Malaysia continue the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. The minister said the government had got proposals from American seabed exploration firm Ocean Infinity, Dutch firm Fugro and an unidentified Malaysian company.
In January, Malaysia, China and Australia had jointly called off their operation to find the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight, which went missing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.
However, no decision has been made yet. “We won’t be deciding anything now on whether we are embarking on a new search or not,” Lai was quoted as saying. “We have to discuss with the companies. It will take some time as it’s some detailed discussions.” The proposals would be discussed with China and Australia as well, as they were involved in the search, he added.
Representatives for Ocean Infinity said the company would want to be paid only if the aircraft was found.
Mysterious disappearance
After the Boeing 777 aircraft was reported missing on March 8, 2014, several teams from different countries were looking for it in a 1.2 lakh sq km area of the Indian Ocean. Over $150 million (Rs 973 crore approximately) was spent on the search, making it the most expensive search operation in aviation history.
The hunt for the aircraft was also riddled with controversy, with many experts saying the wrong area was being searched. Debris from the aircraft had been found on the French island of Reunion, in Mozambique, South Africa, Rodrigues Island and Mauritius, among other sites.
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