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New 55-Day Search for MH370 Begins Off Western Australia

Malaysia has commissioned Ocean Infinity on a no‑find, no‑fee mission that deploys upgraded AUVs guided by refined satellite and drift models.

Overview

  • Ocean Infinity restarted operations on December 30, launching a targeted mission in the southern Indian Ocean to locate the missing Boeing 777.
  • The campaign is scheduled to run for 55 days in phases, focusing on a roughly 15,000 km² high‑probability zone west of Australia.
  • The contractor will be paid only if the wreck is found, with reports placing the potential fee at about $70 million.
  • The renewed effort follows a pause in April due to poor weather and builds on improved autonomous underwater vehicles and higher‑resolution seabed imaging.
  • Families seeking closure welcomed the move as a potential last chance, as a Beijing court this month ordered compensation for eight families in a first‑instance ruling.