Closure has no price for MH370 families
- Ten years after the Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing went off radar screens and disappeared, relatives of the 239 aboard still do not know what happened
The fate of flight MH370 and its 239 passengers and crew remains one of aviation’s biggest mysteries. When it lost contact and disappeared, it seemed inconceivable that 10 years later no one would have any idea what happened to it or even where it might be found.
Hundreds of relatives of the missing, mostly Chinese citizens but also 11 other nationalities, still await closure. Many have come together for a memorial event to mark the 10th anniversary in Kuala Lumpur, from where the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 departed after midnight for Beijing on March 8, 2014.
They have pleaded with the Malaysian government to reopen the lapsed deep-sea search for their loved ones. Their spirits have now been lifted by Kuala Lumpur’s readiness to offer a deal to a deep-sea exploration firm, according to transport minister Anthony Loke.
The minister said the Malaysian government was “steadfast in our resolve to locate MH370”, adding “money is no issue” in the offer to Ocean Infinity, a US-based deep-sea survey firm.
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Families of MH370 victims call for resumption of search nearly a decade after flight disappearance
Following a 120,000 sq km (46,332 square mile) search of the Indian Ocean, about 2,000km (1,242 miles) west of Perth, led by Australia and supported by China and Malaysia, the firm had carried out a fruitless three-month hunt across 112,000 sq km in 2018.
Loke promised a gathering of relatives to do everything possible to gain cabinet approval to sign a new contract with Ocean Infinity for the search to resume.
A renewed search would carry the risk of further disappointment. The vast, partly uncharted area where the aircraft may lie presents unprecedented challenges.
But Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government would be happy to reopen the investigation if compelling new evidence were brought forward. The international search cost more than US$130 million.
A full-scale resumption could cost tens of millions more.
‘No find, no fee’: 10 years on, Malaysia seeks to revive search for MH370 jet
It would be worth every cent if it at least brought closure, not to mention a response to many unanswered questions about the tragedy. No stone should be left unturned to establish what happened.
As one relative said, MH370 is not just history, but could be part of the future of aviation safety.
