More than a decade after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370, what happened to the Boeing 777 remains a mystery.
On a routine flight between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, the aircraft disappeared from radar, and apart from some debris, the question of what happened afterward remains unanswered.
An initial four year search, the incident was officially reported as ‘inconclusive’ and effectively any further searches were shelved.
However Texas based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity, has announced that it will begin a new phase in the search, offering new hope for the relatives of the missing 239 passengers and crew still unaccounted for.
In an agreement with Malaysian Government, the firm – which, in 2022, was involved in the discovery of Sir Earnest Shacklton’s lost ship, The Endurance – with waiver all fees on a ‘no find, no fee’ basis, instead being awarded US$70 million is ‘substantial’ wreckage is found – as yet, aside from wreckage being washed up om Reunion Island, in the southern Indian Ocean, the location of the rest of MH370 remains a mystery.
Anthony Loke, Malaysian Transport Minister said, in a statement:
“Our responsibility and obligation and commitment is to the next of kin, we hope this time will be positive, that the wreckage will be found and give closure to the families.”
Timeline of MH370
On 8 March 2014 at 0042 (local time) MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, expecting to arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport at 0630.
Around 40 minutes into the flight, at 0119, whilst flying over the China Sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, Malaysian Air Traffic Control requested that the aircraft switch frequencies to their Vietnamese counterparts, with the pilot signing off with “Good night. Malaysian three seven zero”.
Two minutes later, the aircraft’s transponder stopped functioning, causing the plane to disappear from civilian radar. However, it was still visible to Malaysian military radar, and was tracked turning left towards the Malaysia-Thailand border, over the Andaman Sea – bluntly, it was travelling in the wrong direction.
After disappearing from Malaysian military radar at around 0222, attempts were made to contact the plane’s Satellite Data Unit, up to and until 0819, when it is believed that the aircraft would have depleted its fuel and entered the ocean – with no reply.
Malaysian Airways publicly announced that MH370 was lost at 0724.
What followed was a series of internationally backed, and ultimately fruitless, searches across a total of 126,00 sq miles of ocean.
With no credible evidence, apart from the aforementioned wreckage that washed up on Reunion Island – itself 4000 miles from Kuala Lumpur – the rumours and theories ran rampant as to what happened to the flight. In 2020, former Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbot told Sky News that the downing of flight MH370 was ‘almost certainly a murder suicide’. Meanwhile, during the initial search period, The Australian Transport Investigation Board released a report that MH370’s crew and passengers likely suffocated due to hypoxia. However, as with all theories, there was no physical evidence, and was based entirely on studying similar aircraft incidents in the past.
What now for Malaysian Airlines?
As is probably obvious, the ramifications for Malaysian Airlines have been markedly damaging.
Financially, the airline lost US$97.6million in the quarter just after the loss of MH370. Meanwhile in China, where the majority of the passengers were from, Malaysian saw a 60% decrease in ticket sales during the month of the crash. Overall, the airline has not made a profit since 2010.
However, in August 2014, the brand’s image was further damaged when MH17 – flying between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur – was shot down over Ukraine, during the War in Donbas.
However, in recent years, Malaysian Airlines have announced that their financial situation is improving, announcing in March this year that the company had made its first profit since 2010.
So is the MH370 about to be found, or has too much time passed? Is it time to let it all rest, and let the families of the victims have the time and space to move on? Join in the discussion, in the comments below.
