12 years after plane vanished, robots begin search for MH370
The search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370) has resumed in the Indian Ocean, over a decade after it mysteriously vanished. The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people aboard. The new search effort is being spearheaded by Texas-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity and will cover an area of around 15,000 square kilometers.
Advanced technology deployed in new search effort
Ocean Infinity is using its own underwater vehicles and deep-sea drones for this mission. The company's autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are equipped with advanced scanning technology, including sonar imaging to look under seafloor sediment. This cutting-edge technology could help peer beneath layers of sediment that have built up over the years.
'No-find, no-fee' contract incentivizes search efforts
The Malaysian government has signed a "no-find, no-fee" contract with Ocean Infinity for this search mission. The deal is worth $70 million but only if the company finds the missing plane. This payment structure was also part of their previous search efforts in 2018 when they took over for three months and promised payment only upon discovery of actual wreckage.
Previous search efforts yielded little results
The initial search for MH370 was the largest and most expensive in aviation history, covering over 120,000 square kilometers of the southern Indian Ocean. However, it ended in 2017 with few relevant discoveries. Some suspected debris has washed up on Indian Ocean islands and along Africa's coast but no human remains or significant wreckage have been found.
Families of victims continue legal battles
Meanwhile, the families of the victims are still fighting legal battles against Malaysia Airlines. Recently, a Beijing court ordered compensation for eight Chinese families, marking progress in their long-standing legal disputes. Despite these efforts and advancements in technology, the mystery of MH370 remains one of aviation's greatest unsolved cases to date.