According to a recent statement from the Malaysian Ministry of Transport released on June 29, the government has officially extended its contract with underwater exploration firm “Ocean Infinity.” This extension allows them to continue the painstaking search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean. The new agreement is valid from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
The statement emphasized that this extension is crucial for allowing Ocean Infinity to complete the survey of the remaining 7,428.54 square kilometers of ocean floor. The new round of operations is scheduled to take place between November 2026 and April 2027, a period chosen specifically for more favorable sea conditions.
It’s been a long and painful journey since MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The aircraft was carrying 239 people. Tragically, on January 29, 2015, the Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority officially declared the plane lost, presuming that everyone on board had perished.
In the years following the disappearance, China, Malaysia, and Australia conducted a massive two-year joint search across a 120,000 square kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean. Despite the extensive effort, the only concrete evidence found consisted of three pieces of wing debris washed up on Réunion Island, Mauritius, and Tanzania. No definitive proof of the aircraft’s final resting place was uncovered.
Back in 2018, Ocean Infinity, a UK and US-headquartered underwater exploration company, conducted its own search lasting over three months. During the 138-day operation, their submersibles dove to depths exceeding 4,000 meters at the bottom of the Broken Ridge. However, aside from routine imaging and data collection, they did not find any substantial results, ending their mission on May 29 of that year.
Public records show that Ocean Infinity, founded in 2017, specializes in marine robotics. With offices in Austin, Texas, and Southampton, UK, the team boasts over 500 experts in fields ranging from unmanned vessel operation and piloting to robotics engineering, data processing, oceanography, and hydrography. The company generates an annual revenue of approximately $20 million.
According to Ocean Infinity, since ending the 2018 search, the company has continuously improved its autonomous micro-submarine technology. These advancements are applied not just in search and rescue, but also in oil and gas exploration, offshore wind energy, and even polar scientific research. Their partners include energy giants like Shell. During this period, Ocean Infinity successfully executed at least three deep-sea searches. For instance, in March 2017, they located the sunken South Korean ultra-large bulk carrier “Stella Daisy” off the coast of South Africa, achieving a maximum working depth of 3,461 meters.
In March 2024, on the 10th anniversary of MH370’s disappearance, Ocean Infinity claimed to have found new evidence near the plane’s last known position and submitted a revised proposal to the Malaysian government.
At the time, CEO Ping Jet stated that over the past six years, the company had collaborated with external experts to narrow down the search area to just one-tenth of the original scope. While he didn’t disclose the specific technical breakthroughs achieved, the Malaysian Ministry of Transport spent nearly eight months evaluating the new plan. Ultimately, they were convinced by the improvements in the company’s vessels, diving equipment, and imaging technologies.
On December 31, 2025, the Malaysian Ministry of Transport announced that the survey ship “Armada 86 05” had arrived in the Indian Ocean search zone. It began deploying underwater equipment for acoustic scanning. The ship is equipped with two of the latest autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and a sonar positioning system.
This new search area covers approximately 10,000 square kilometers. Compared to the previous 250,000 square kilometers, this operation is far more targeted. Before heading to the core search zone, the ship conducted sea trials in deep waters to ensure the three torpedo-shaped AUVs were functioning perfectly.
Crucially, this search operates on a “no find, no fee” basis. If the wreckage of MH370 is found, the Malaysian government will pay a fee of $70 million. If nothing is found, the government will pay absolutely nothing.
