The deep-sea hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished more than 11 years ago, will resume this month, Malaysia’s transport ministry has said.
Bound for Beijing, the Boeing 777 disappeared from radar shortly after departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport on 8 March, 2014.
The plane was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew when it vanished.
Satellite data showed the aircraft deviated from its flight path and headed south into the far-southern Indian Ocean, where it is understood to have crashed.
Malaysia’s transport ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that American marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity will embark on an intermittent 55-day search from 30 December.
It will target areas that are believed to have the highest likelihood of locating the missing plane.
“The latest development underscores the government of Malaysia’s commitment in providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy,” the ministry said.
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Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said: “We… appreciate the efforts made by the Malaysian side.”
The Malaysian government approved a “no-find, no-fee” contract with Ocean Infinity earlier this year.
The company will be paid $70m (£53m) only if wreckage is discovered.
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The US-based company will resume the seabed search in a new 15,000 sq km (5,800 sq mile) area in the Indian Ocean after bad weather stopped it in April.
A multinational search, spearheaded by Australia, failed to locate the wreckage.
However, possible debris was found along the coastlines of East African and Indian Ocean countries, including Mozambique, Madagascar, and Reunion Island.
Ocean Infinity conducted an unsuccessful private search in 2018.
