MH370 search deal with Ocean Infinity extended for another year

PETALING JAYA: The Cabinet has agreed to extend the search agreement between Malaysia and Ocean Infinity for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 for one year from July 1.

Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the extension runs until June 30, 2027, and maintains all existing terms and conditions, including a “no find, no fee” principle under which the UK-based exploration firm will only be paid US$70 million if the wreckage is found.

“This decision is a manifestation of the government’s continuous and unwavering commitment to provide closure for the next of kin of the passengers aboard flight MH370,” he said in a statement today.

“The approval of this extension aims to allow the remaining search area of 7,428.54 square km to be fully completed by the company,” he said.

Loke added that the extension also took into account new commercial commitments received by Ocean Infinity that required its primary search assets to be temporarily redeployed elsewhere.

He said the redeployment can only be conducted between Nov 2026 and April 2027 during the calm sea season to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the search.

The original agreement for a new search mission was first signed on March 25, 2025, with Ocean Infinity beginning its search on Feb 25 the same year. The search was carried out in two phases but failed to locate the aircraft.

The disappearance of MH370 remains one of the biggest mysteries in aviation. The plane went missing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.