KUALA LUMPUR: Deep-sea exploration company Ocean Infinity (OI) has concluded its latest search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean, leaving the search area without discovering any new information or data linked to the missing aircraft.
Its chief executive officer, Oliver Plunkett, said the company’s vessel officially departed the search zone on Jan 23, in its latest effort to find MH370.
Since first embarking on this mission in 2018, the company has spent 151 days at sea and mapped more than 140,000 square kilometres of seafloor.
"It was important for us to take advantage of every piece of information and data available and go back.
"But despite all that effort, we haven’t been able to find it,” he said in a statement posted on the company's website on Sunday (March 8).
Plunkett said the search operation’s scale, both geographically and technologically, was almost impossible to comprehend, but expressed pride in the team's efforts and the advanced technology deployed throughout the mission.
"The combination of scientific rigour, automation techniques, robotics, and greater organisational experience meant this search was carried out with a level of precision and speed unimaginable in 2018.
"I hope those around the world for whom this mattered know that, even though we don’t have the outcome we wanted, a large number of people did the very best they could,” he said.
Despite not achieving the desired outcome, Plunkett emphasised that eliminating the searched area provides crucial clarity for future efforts.
"If nothing else, we can say with confidence that it isn’t where we looked. That matters - it brings clarity, and it will help those continuing to study the evidence refine their thinking and shape future search strategies,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation for the support from the families, the Malaysian and Australian governments, as well as various individuals and companies involved in the effort.
"Ocean Infinity remains committed to the long-term mission of locating the missing aircraft.
"Although this phase of the search has concluded, our commitment has not. We’re continuing to work with the Malaysian Government in the hope of being able to return when circumstances allow,” Plunkett said.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished from radar on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China, with 239 passengers and crew on board. — Bernama
