Kuala Lumpur: The Cabinet today has officially granted approval to the terms and conditions of the service agreement with Ocean Infinity (United Kingdom) for the search of the MH370 wreckage, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. Loke stated that with this final approval, the ministry is set to sign the agreement with the marine robotics company on behalf of the government.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this decision allows Ocean Infinity to commence seabed search operations in a new area estimated at 15,000 square kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean. The search will be conducted under the ‘no find, no fee’ principle, which stipulates that the Malaysian government will only pay Ocean Infinity if the wreckage is located, with a success fee amounting to USD70 million.

The government remains committed to continuing the search operation to provide closure for the families of those on board MH370. Previously, Ocean Infinity had conducted a search from January 2018, covering over 112,000 square kilometres of the southern Indian Ocean seabed before the mission concluded on May 29, 2018.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew members. The aircraft remains missing to this day.