Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 370 remains one of the most mysterious disasters in aviation history, even a decade after its disappearance. The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished from radar on March 8, 2014, and despite extensive efforts, the main wreckage has never been found. 

The aircraft’s sudden disappearance left the world grappling with uncertainty and speculation.  The frustration emerged when authorities stopped the MH370 search in 2017. After that, there was only grief about the fate of the missing aircraft. But a new discovery might soon lead to the long overdue but necessary reopening of the case.

If approved, the new search will begin in November 2024. This follows a proposal put forth in May by Ocean Infinity, a United States-based marine robotics company that searched for the aircraft’s wreckage in 2018. The company, in an agreement with the Malaysian government, plans to resume the underwater search for MH370.

Flight MH370 started as routine. However, after the co-pilot made a final voice check-in with air traffic control and said good night, the transponder shut off. The Malaysian air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft over the Gulf of Thailand. 

Malaysia Airlines declared the plane missing at 2:40 a.m., and by 3:45 a.m., they issued a code red. The aircraft was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. but never did. 

Involving multiple countries and covering vast areas of the Indian Ocean, the search for MH370 became one of the most costly in aviation history. Despite all the resources allocated for the mission, the search was suspended in 2017, leaving families fighting for justice on their own. Seven years later, the case might be reopened, but the decision comes far too late.

This decision shows a failure to uphold the dignity of the victims. The promise of reopening the case based on “credible new evidence” placed the burden of proof on an undefined threshold, making it almost impossible to satisfy the criteria without further investigation. Without active searching, how could new evidence be found?

Stopping the search and placing conditions on its resumption demonstrated ignorance towards those lost. Rather than demonstrating a commitment to truth, justice and respect for the deceased, the decision appeared as a way to distance authorities from their ongoing responsibilities. Imagine losing a loved one, but never knowing how or why. For these families, the search was a thread to hope and justice.

The families of the victims, who have already suffered years of confusion and misinformation, deserved an unwavering commitment to finding answers, but they were instead met with an ambiguous promise for the future. 

It’s this uncertainty that makes the story of MH370 a point of contention among the victim’s families, the Malaysian government and conspiracy theorists worldwide. The shuttering of the first investigation — and the failure to begin a new one sooner — not only puts the families of victims in a sea of questions, but gives way to the outlandish nature of conspiracy theorists. The lack of answers left a vacuum that was quickly filled by speculation. With no clear explanation, people began to fill the void with their own narratives to seek one.

These conspiracy theories — which range from hijacking plots to CIA involvement and even an alien abduction — are a direct result of the lack of closure caused by these failed investigations. It puts a blemish not only on the memory of those who disappeared with the aircraft, but causes even more unnecessary strife for the families of the victims. They not only had to contend with their own loss, but battle a constant flow of unfounded claims.

This new search is a much needed second act to a disappearance that has gone unsolved for too long. The reopening of the search for MH370 is critically necessary for the families who are still looking for answers. It has been a decade of elusive responses, so the reopened case is not just a decision to uncover the truth, but to honor the memory of those lost in the tragedy.

All eyes will be on Ocean Infinity this November, as the world watches this renewed mission unraveling the enigma that has haunted aviation for the past ten years. If successful, this new search could bring much-needed closure for the loved ones of those lost.