Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian government has signed a new agreement with Ocean Infinity, a UK-based marine robotics company, to restart the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the agreement was finalized last week.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the search operation is currently on hold due to weather conditions and is expected to recommence at the end of the year. Minister Loke elaborated on this during a press conference held at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), following the arrival of British Airways’ first flight to Malaysia in five years. He mentioned, “I think right now it’s not the (weather) season. I think they have stopped the operation for the time being and will resume the search at the end of this year.”

This update follows an announcement by the Association for Families of the Passengers and Crew that the search for MH370, which vanished in March 2014, has been postponed until next summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The association attributed the delay to adverse weather conditions and Ocean Infinity’s existing commitments.

Previously, it was reported that the Malaysian government had agreed to the terms and conditions with Ocean Infinity on a “no find, no fee” basis. This means Malaysia will only pay Ocean Infinity a success fee of US$70 million if the aircraft’s wreckage is found.

Ocean Infinity previously participated in the search for MH370 from January 2018, covering over 112,000 square kilometers of the southern Indian Ocean seabed before concluding the mission on May 29, 2018. The ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, after departing from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing, carrying 239 passengers and crew members.